Dream a Little Dream
by Aria Winchester 1
Summary: Evelyn Pines is the 17 year old sister of the Pines twins. Fiercely protective and loyal to her siblings, she is with them during every supernatural event they go through. But when she starts hearing a strange voice in her head, and begins seeing a triangle-like figure, she realizes that there may be more to her and the town than she thought. Eventual BillxOC, eventual AU.
1. Chapter 1

Prologue

The sound of the storm raging outside thundered in unison with the wailing of the young woman lying in a Hospital bed. Her husband was by her side, holding his wife's hand. The midwife was beside her, reminding her to take deep breaths.

If I'd known giving birth would be this painful,' she thought through her pain, 'I might not have tried so hard to conceive a child.'

But it was too late for her to back out now.

"Push!" the doctor yelled, trying to be heard over the racket outside and the cries of the woman in bed.

The woman complied, another agony filled scream tearing through her throat. She'd forgone the pain medication they'd offered, something she sincerely regretted at the moment.

"You're almost there, honey." Her husband told her, trying to comfort his wife.

With one final cry, she pushed for the last time. A second later, a baby's cries filled the silence that the exhausted mother had left.

The woman turned, completely wiped out, to the doctor. "Well, Doctor Greene? How's my baby doing?"

The midwife, who had cleaned up the newborn, handed the baby over to the doctor. "Mrs. Pines, you are now the proud mother of a beautiful, healthy baby girl."

Mrs. Pines sighed in happiness at the news and shared a loving look with her husband.

"Let me hold her." said Mrs. Pines weakly.

The doctor carefully lifted the child to be placed in her mothers' arms. The baby was still crying, her little eyes clenched shut.

"She's beautiful." Mr. Pines said in a hushed tone.

"She is." Mrs. Pines looked down proudly at her newborn daughter.

"What will we name her?"

Mrs. Pines thought for a minute. She wanted the perfect name for her perfect little girl.

"Her name will be… Evelyn."

At that moment, Mrs. Pines felt a chill run down her spine, and she someone, _something,_ laughing in her mind. It was distinctly male laughter, and it echoed in her head. A shadow seemed to pass over Evelyn, eventually landing on her collarbone.

Mrs. Pines carefully peeled back the blanket to study her baby's shoulder. Right above her daughter's collarbone, was a tiny birthmark shaped like a triangle.

Evelyn's cries quieted down, as though soothed by the shadow. Still whimpering as her grubby little hands rubbed against her closed eyes, her mouth opened to yawn cutely. Finally, with some effort, Evelyn tried to open her eyes.

Mrs. Pines gasped, staring into her daughter's eyes in surprise. Concerned by his wife's reaction, Mr. Pines leaned in to look at his newborns' eyes.

And two blood red, blinking orbs stared back at him.

 **Hey guys! This is my first time writing on . I've previously been writing stories on Quotev, but I decided to branch out with my work, see if people enjoy it. I plan on updating this story on both websites.**

 **The idea for this story came to me in a dream (no joke, it was awesome!). I really hope you enjoy this story! Please favourite and review! No flames, please! -Aria**


	2. Chapter I: Tourist Trapped (part 1)

The teen's calm red eyes stared at the ramshackle shed the bus had dropped her and her sibling off at. Evelyn looked carefully at the 'Mystery Shack', the place she'd be spending the summer with her siblings, Mabel and Dipper.

Dipper was looking at the crumbling, tacky shed with distaste, while his twin Mabel was staring at it with stars in her eyes.

"This place is a dump." Dipper grumbled.

"This place is where dreams happen, bro bro!" Mabel shot back excitedly.

They'd all been unhappy about being shipped off to stay with their great- uncle Stan at his tourist trap in Gravity Falls, Oregon (a.k.a Middle-of-Nowhere). But Mabel had quickly brightened up when she realised that this was an opportunity to make new friends, and possibly to experience her first summer romance.

Dipper, however, was not as optimistic as his twin. He didn't see the point of coming. Evelyn was fairly neutral about it all. She was just happy to be with her family and see Grunkle Stan again.

Mabel ran off with her bag towards the shack, leaving her twin and older sister in the dust.

"Don't worry Dipper." Evelyn said. "I know you'll make the best of this."

Dipper looked up into his older sister's reassuring red eyes. "Really?"

"Of course, Dip." She ruffled his hair, making him laugh. "Knowing you, you'll find a way to make this place one giant adventure."

Dipper smiled up at Evelyn, before a mischievous glint entered his eyes. "Race you to the attic?"

"You're on!" Evelyn shouted.

And with that, they both rushed into the shack, laughing the entire way there.

\- DaLD -

Evelyn was carefully putting up some of her photos on the wall in her corner of the attic. The siblings had to share the attic with each other, but honestly, they weren't complaining.

Evelyn, Dipper and Mabel had always been close. Evelyn always watched out for her younger siblings, almost to the point of mothering them, though the twins never complained. They liked her protectiveness. They'd all have sleepovers, movie nights, mini golf games, or anything else they could come up with. Because of their closeness, Evelyn was always first in line to know when something was up with Mabel or Dipper.

"Hey, Evie! You're side looks super pretty!" Mabel exclaimed, startling Evelyn from her thoughts.

Evelyn stood back and admired her work. "Thanks Mabes." She ruffled her sister's hair, making Mabel laugh.

Evelyn had put up a bookshelf for her favourite books that she'd brought with her. She'd managed to hang some fairy lights on the ceiling, and she'd put photos of her family on the wall. All of her clothing was in a few of the drawers in the dresser they all shared. She nodded to herself, agreeing with how she'd sight it up.

"Hey Evie?" Mabel asked.

"Yeah?"

"Can you help me put up some posters?"

Evelyn smiled warmly. "Of course, Mabes."

-DaLD-

Dipper walked into the attic to see Evelyn helping Mabel put up posters.

Mabel turned to Dipper and smiled brightly. "This attic is amazing! Check out all my splinters!"

Dipper and Evelyn looked at Mabel, completely weirded out.

"Mabel! You should have told me about those!" she scolded. Mabel looked away from her sister's piercing gaze sheepishly. "Come here, let me clean those up."

As Mabel sat on Evelyn's lap, getting her splinters removed, Dipper backed up into his unmade bed. He jumped when his hands me fur.

"And there's a goat on my bed."

Evelyn looked up from her spot, surprised and curious. "How did a goat get into the _attic_?"

Mabel hopped off her sister's lap to inspect the goat standing on Dipper's bed.

"Hello friend." Mabel held out her arm for the goat.

Gompers (the goat) chewed on her sweater sleeve, making Evelyn bite back a smile at the adorable scene.

"Oh! Yes, you can keep chewing on my sweater." Mabel laughed.

Evelyn looked at Mabel, who was making faces at the goat, and Dipper, who was looking disgruntled, and laughed at the twins' antics. In some ways, she reflected, the twins were as different as night and day. Mabel always saw the bright side of everything. Dipper, however, tended to be more cynical and realistic.

Evelyn liked to think that she fell somewhere between the two. She tried to see the good _and_ the bad in any situation, to keep an open mind, because when the Pines twins were your siblings, you needed to be the fair one.

-DaLD-

They'd been there for about a week so far. One very uneventful week. Mabel rolled down some hills, Dipper acted antisocial, Stan tied to them, and Evelyn either read or played whatever game the twins were playing.

Evelyn was halfway through her well-worn copy of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire when Mabel caught her eye.

Evelyn was sitting with her feet on the counter of the Mystery Shack's gift shop cashier table. What got her attention was the giggling she heard from behind a shelf of merchandise. Upon closer inspection, she could see Mabel's chocolate brown eyes peeking from some merchandise, staring intently at something.

Quirking her brow, Evelyn turned her face to look at whatever had garnered her sister's interest. Mabel was staring at some preteen boy who was reading a letter, looking more confused and disturbed the more he read.

She turned to Mabel, who whispered excitedly, "I rigged it."

Evelyn laughed at her sister's childishness.

"Mabel, I know you're going through your whole 'Boy Crazy' phase, but I think you're kind of overdoing it with the whole 'Crazy' part." Dipper said as he cleaned a jar full of eyeballs.

Evelyn put down her book to look at Mabel directly. "He's right Mabel. When I was your age, I don't think I was nearly as 'boy crazy' as you are."

"But Evie, when you were my age, you hardly even _looked_ at boys. Plus, you're only seventeen, so you have plenty of time to get boy-crazy before you get all old and wrinkly." Mabel looked up at her sister, determined to prove her point.

Evelyn sighed. "I told you that I'm waiting for the right guy. I can _feel_ that he's out there; I just haven't met him yet. Besides, my other boyfriends were pigs anyway."

Mabel sighed at how romantic her sister's explanation was.

Dipper said, "Well, of course they were pigs. You seemed to date the guys that were only interested in your looks."

Dipper looked at his sister for a moment. He hated the fact that she'd never found someone who really respected her past her appearance. Evelyn was certainly beautiful, though her eyes were a bit off putting to others at first. She had long brown hair that ended close to her hips, pale skin, and a well-proportioned body. Honestly, Dipper thought his sister was one of the most beautiful girls ever, which only fueled his desire to protect hr from guys that would use her.

He shook himself from his protective thoughts when Mabel continued speaking.

"Well Evie, I don't _want_ to wait for my prince charming! And I'm not overdoing it Dipper! This is our first summer away from home and it's my big chance to have an epic summer romance! I won't pass this up!" Mabel exclaimed defensively.

Dipper shook his head. "Yeah, but do you need to flirt with every guy you meet?"

"It's kind of ridiculous Mabel." Evelyn agreed, remembering some of the boys Mabel had hit on so far: the tourist boy, the turtle guy, the Mattress King, and now preteen guy.

"Mock all you want brother and sister, but I got a good feeling about this summer. I wouldn't be surprised if the man of my dreams walked through that door right now."

They all turned expectedly to the door when they heard footsteps approaching. A second later, their Grunkle Stan walked through the doorway, belching.

"Oh yeah Mabel, he's a real catch." Evelyn said jokingly.

"Aww! Why!" Mabel complained, looking disgusted.

Dipper was too busy laughing to add his own input to their conversation, but his laughter was cut off when Grunkle Stan spoke to them.

"All right, all right, look alive people." Grunkle Stan stopped their antics. "I need someone to go hammer up these signs in the spooky part of the forest."

In unison, the trio shouted, "Not it!"

Soos, the repair man that was standing on a ladder in the back, spoke up. "Uh, also not it."

Stan turned to Soos. "Nobody asked you, Soos."

"I know, and I'm comfortable with that." Soos turned back to take a bite of a suddenly materializing chocolate bar.

'I wonder where the heck that came from.' Evelyn thought, staring at the chocolate bar.

Stan turned to Wendy, another teenage employee who had taken Evelyn's place at the cash. "Wendy, I need you to put up these signs!"

Wendy, clearly in no rush to help, pretended to reach for the sign. "I would, but I, ugh, can't, ugh, reach, ugh…"

"I would fire all of you if I could." Stan deadpanned. "All right, let's make it…eenie,meenie, miney… you." He pointed at Dipper.

Dipper groaned. "Aw, what? Grunkle Stan, whenever I'm in those woods, I feel like I'm being watched."

"Ugh, not this again." Stan complained.

"I'm telling you, something weird is going on in this town. Just today, my mosquito bites spelled out 'BEWARE'." Dipper held out his arm for his uncle to see.

"That says 'BEWARB'." Satan said, unimpressed.

As Dipper went to scratch it, Evelyn smacked his hand away. "Don't scratch it, you'll only make it worse." She admonished.

"Sorry." Dipper said sheepishly.

"Look kid." Stan continued. "The whole 'monsters in the forest' thing is just local legend, drummed up by guys like me to sell merch to guys like that."

They all turned to see an overweight, sweaty tourist laughing stupidly at s bobbling Stan-bobble-head.

'Jeez,' Evelyn thought, 'do people actually act like that?' she sweat dropped.

"So quit being so paranoid!" Stan concluded, handing the signs to Dipper.

As Dipper sighed and began to head towards the door, Evelyn put her hand on his shoulder to stop him. Dipper turned around to look at his sister questioningly.

"Want some help with those signs?" Evelyn asked, smiling.

"Really? You'll help?" Dipper questioned.

"Anything for my little bro." Evelyn flashed a toothy grin.

"Thanks!" Dipper glomped her in a hug, before they both set out to put up the signs.

-DaLD-

"Thanks for helping me." Dipper said as he held up the signs.

"No problem." Evelyn responded as she hammered in another nail.

Dipper looked deep in thought for a moment, making Evelyn curious as to what he could be thinking.

"What-cha thinking about?" Evelyn asked.

"Ugh, just Grunkle Stan. Nobody ever believes anything I say." Dipper pouted.

"I believe you." Evelyn said nonchalantly.

"You do?" Dipper asked, hopeful that if _anyone_ would believe him, it'd be his older sister.

"Yeah. This forest is really creepy. I feel like I'm being watched whenever I'm in here." Evelyn shivered, nervous.

Dipper smiled at her as they moved on to the next tree. He felt reassured. If this mature, realistic sister felt the same way he did about the town, then surely there was something going on in Gravity Falls. Now all he had to do was get Grunkle Stan-

His thoughts were cut off by the metal clang the tree they'd just tried to hammer in a nail made. Sharing a look, Dipper took the hammer from Evelyn and carefully banged the hammer against the tree. The same metallic clang arose. Dipper wiped the dust away from the metal tree, finding a latch. He opened a secret compartment built into the tree.

Inside the compartment, there was a mechanical bow with two controls. 'When I said this place was weird, I wasn't thinking secret compartments in the middle of the forest.' Evelyn thought, nonplussed.

Dipper tried one of the controls, but nothing happened.

"Dipper, I don't think you should be playing with those." Evelyn said nervously.

"But Evie, if I don't, I might never know what this is hiding." Seeing her brothers' determined gaze, she sighed and let him go.

When Dipper pulled the next control, he heard something open up behind him. A hole opened up in the ground, startling a goat that had been grazing before the hole opened up. 'Isn't that the same goat as before?' Evelyn wondered.

"What the?" Dipper said as he went to inspect the hole, Evelyn close behind him.

Dipper looked in and found what looked like a dusty old book. He reached in and put it on the grass in front of him. Evelyn sat down beside Dipper as he went to open the book.

The name of the author seemed to have been torn away, spiking Evelyn and Dipper's curiosity.

Dipper flipper to another page and began reading aloud. "It's hard to believe it's been six years since I began studying the strange and wondrous secrets of Gravity Falls, Oregon."

As they continued flipping through the pages, they stared in awe at each one, which held fantastical creatures. 'They even have gnomes.' thought Evelyn. 'This is really detailed.'

Dipper flipped to a page that had 'TRUST NO ONE' in large lettering. He passed the book for his sister to read. Evelyn cleared her throat.

"Unfortunately, my suspicions have been confirmed. I'm being watched. I must hide this book before _he_ finds it. Remember: in Gravity Falls there is no one to trust." Evelyn was creeped out by the words she'd just read. Who was _'he'_? Why was the Author so scared of this person finding the book?

"No one you can trust…" Dipper mumbled thoughtfully, missing his sister's concerned glance.

Suddenly, Mabel jumped out from behind a log. "HALLO!"

Dipper gave a girly scream as Evelyn jumped in surprise.

"Where did you come from?" Evelyn asked

"You guys were taking too long, so I followed the trail of signs." Mabel turned to her twin. "What'cha readin', some nerd thing?"

Dipper stammered, hiding the journal behind his back. "Uh, uh, it's nothing!"

"'Uh, uh, it's nothing!'" Mabel imitated, laughing at her brother's awkwardness. "Are you actually not going to show me?"

Evelyn could understand why Mabel would be incredulous. They always shared everything with each other, and rarely hid anything.

The goat had come back, chewing on the corner of the journal.

"Of course we'll show you, right Dipper?" Evelyn turned to her nervous younger brother.

"Uhhh… Let's go somewhere private."

And with that, they started the trek back to the Mystery Shack.

 **-DaLD-**

 **Yay! I'm done part one! I've already written up to chapter four in my notebook, but it certainly takes a while to type it up. I hope you guys enjoyed the story so far. This was basically just a chapter to learn a little bit more about Evie and her relationship with the twins. But don't worry; Bill will come in sooner than you think. ;)**

 **My favourite part to write was Dipper's views on his sister's appearance. I don't mean to make her a Mary Sue in any way, but I find that when siblings are that close, they tend to see each other in a better light. We'll also find out how her red eyes affected her life later on in the series, probably in Episode 5.**

 **So favourite and review! I'd love to hear you opinion of the story so far! I would like to thank the people who have favorited, followed and commented on my story so far. I love you guys! No flames, please. -Aria**


	3. Chapter II: Tourist Trapped (part 2)

Mabel was sitting on the couch arm in the Mystery Shack as Dipper paced, Evelyn leaning calmly on the wall beside him.

"It's amazing!" Dipper was explaining enthusiastically. "Grunkle Stan said I was being paranoid, but according to this book, Gravity Falls has this secret dark side."

He showed Mabel a page, but Evelyn knew her sister well enough to see that she wasn't really paying attention to Dipper's discovery. She was fidgeting and looking at the door every now and then. 'I wonder if she's expecting someone.' Evelyn thought idly.

"Whoa! Shut up!" Mabel pushed Dipper to accentuate her enthusiasm.

Dipper continued his rant. "And get this! After a certain point, the pages just… stop, like the guy who was writing it… mysteriously disappeared."

"It _is_ pretty mysterious." Evelyn agreed.

Dipper was about to continue when the doorbell rang. "Who's that?" Dipper and Evelyn asked in unison.

Mabel was practically glowing. "Well, time to spill th beans."

Mabel tipped over an empty can of beans that was on the table. "Whoop. Beans." Mabel giggled.

Puffing herself up with pride and pointing to herself, Mabel exclaimed, "This girl's got a date! Woot woot!"

Mabel fell over into the chair, still giggling over the prospect of a date.

"Let me get this straight: in the half hour we were gone, you already found yourself a boyfriend?" Dipper questioned in exasperation.

"And you didn't let me meet him before you decided to go on a date?" Evelyn added, lifting an eyebrow.

"What can I say? I guess I'm just IRRESISTABLLLE! And Evie, I didn't ask you first 'cause you weren't there, and he was so dreamy! You'll meet him in a minute! I'll introduce him to you!"

As if on cue, the bell rang again.

Mabel jumped up. "Oh. Coming!"

When Mabel ran out of the room, Dipper plopped down on the couch to continue reading the journal, Evelyn peering over his shoulder to read as well.

Stan walked into the living room, spying his niece and nephew reading. "What'cha reading there, slicks?"

Dipper, startled, tossed the journal to Evelyn, who hid it behind her back as Dipper grabbed a magazine.

"We were just catching up on, uh…" At a loss, Dipper discreetly peeked at the title." Gold Chains For Old Men Magazine?"

Stan nods, accepting the lie and drinking his Pit Cola. "That's a good issue."

Evelyn glanced down at the page. "Bit pricey though."

"Hey family! Say hello to my new boyfriend!" Mabel waved to them from the entrance.

Beside her stood a teenager with incredibly pale skin and a bang covering half of his face. He was wearing a black hoodie with twigs on it, as though he'd crawled through the woods before he got here. Even worse, there was an incriminating red stain on his cheek.

Evelyn immediately despised him.

" 'Sup." Said the teenager.

"Hey." Said Dipper awkwardly, feeling uncomfortable around the teen.

"How's it hanging?" said Stan, blissfully unaware of how creepy the boy was.

"Nice to meet you." Evelyn smiled, though it didn't reach her eyes.

No, she did not like this teen at all.

Mabel, unaware of her siblings' feelings for her new beau, continued.

"We met at the cemetery. He's _really_ deep." Mabel felt up his arm. " Oh. Little muscle. That's… what a surprise…"

Mabel seemed to have realised how awkward the meeting was, making her become awkward as well.

Saving her sister from further embarrassment, Evelyn asked, "So… What's your name?"

"Uh. Normal…MAN!" Evelyn jumped at his tone.

"He means Norman." Mabel supplied.

Dipper took the lead of questioning 'Norman'. "Are you bleeding, Norman?" he pointed to the unidentified red substance dripping down Norman's face.

"It's jam." Norman said, sounding odd.

Mabel looked at him , completely infatuated. "I love jam! Look. At. This!"

Norman, seemingly deciding to leave, turned to Mabel. "So, you wanna hold hands or… whatever?"

Mabel was over the moon.

Completely flustered, she replied, " Oh, oh, my goodness.", giggling.

"Don't wait up!" Mabel shouted as she ran out with Norman.

"I want you back for supper, missy!" Evelyn yelled back, watching Norman run into the wall before exiting. 'There has to something wrong with Norman.' Thought Evelyn worriedly.

-DaLD-

Dipper was sitting on the window sill, reading the journal aloud. Evelyn was sitting cross-legged on the floor in front of him, listening to him. She'd put one of her ratty sweaters on the floor to sit on to avoid getting splinters on the uncovered parts of her leg.

"Known for their pale skin and bad attitudes these creatures are often mistaken for… teenagers?! Beware Gravity Falls' nefarious…" Dipper cut himself off, gasping.

"What is it?" Evelyn asked.

"Zombie!" Dipper yelled, startling his sister.

"What do you mean, zombie?"

"I mean that Norman's a zombie!"

Dipper pressed himself against the stain glass window, yelling when he saw Norman approaching Mabel in a very zombie-like manner.

"Oh, no! Mabel! No, no, Mabel, watch out!" Dipper yelled through the window, though his twin couldn't hear.

Evelyn approached the window, concerned due to Dipper's yells, only to see Norman backing away from Mabel, a flower necklace around her neck.

"Is my sister really dating a zombie, or am I just going nuts?" Dipper asked himself.

"It's a dilemma, to be sure." Soos said, coming out of nowhere.

Evelyn and Dipper gasped.

Soos turned to them, finished with his task of fixing the light bulb. "I couldn't help but overhear you talkin' aloud to yourself in the room your sister was in too."

"Soos, you've seen Mabel's boyfriend. He's gotta be a zombie, right?" Dipper asked.

Soos looked deep in thought for a moment. "Hmmm. How many brains didja see this guy eat?"

Dipper hung his head. "Zero."

"Look, dude, I believe you. I'm always noticing weird stuff in this town. Like the mailman? Pretty sure that dude's a werewolf." Soos said.

Evelyn snickered.

"But ya gotta have evidence." Soos continued. "Otherwise, people are gonna think you're a major league cuckoo clock."

Dipper sighed, understanding what Soos was saying. "As always, Soos, you're right."

"My wisdom is both a blessing and a curse." Soos said solemnly, making Evelyn laugh. He was just too funny.

They all heard shouting from downstairs.

" _Soos!_ " Their Grunkle yelled. " _The portable toilets are clogged again!_ "

Evelyn winced. That sounded disgusting.

Soos fixed his cap, looking determined. "I am needed elsewhere."

"Stay strong, brave one." Evelyn said pityingly.

With a nod in her direction, Soos backed out of the room.

"Evelyn, do _you_ think that Norman's a zombie?" Dipper asked tentatively.

Evelyn thought for a moment. "I honestly don't think he might be a _zombie._ But he's definitely strange."

"But the book's description fits him perfectly!" Dipper argued.

"And it fits at least half of my exes too." Evelyn said calmly. " I feel like there's something off about him, but I don't know if I'd go so far to say he's one of the undead."

Dipper nodded his head. "You're right too. So I think we need to collect evidence first. You in?"

Evelyn grinned. "Of course."

-DaLD-

Dipper and Evelyn followed Mabel and Norman on their dates for a few days. They hid inside bushes, sat in a diner for an hour hiding behind menus, and followed them to a cemetery. Dipper decided that they'd seen enough, but Evelyn was still doubtful that Norman was a zombie. She just wasn't sure she entirely believed in them.

Dipper and Evelyn had started a bet because of their differing views: whoever was wrong would need to pay the winner five bucks. Evelyn hoped that she'd win, not wanting to fork her money over to Dipper. Grunkle Stan would be proud.

-DaLD-

Dipper managed to convince Evelyn to go with him and break the news about Norman to Mabel. When they walked in, they found Mabel humming and brushing her hair, getting ready for another date.

"Hey Evie! Can you brush my hair for me?" Mabel asked when they walked in.

Evelyn smiled warmly. "Of course I can."

Evelyn sat on the bed, Mabel scurrying to get in front of her, handing Evelyn the brush. This was one of Mabel's favourite things to do with her sister. She always found it soothing, the way Evelyn carefully combed through her hair. Whenever she was upset or nervous, it made her feel better.

"Mabel. We've gotta talk about Norman." Dipper decided to get to the point while Mabel was relaxed.

"Isn't he the best?" Mabel sighed, infatuated. "Check out this smooch mark he gave me!"

Mabel carefully turned her head, so as not to disturb her sister's brushing.

"Ah!" Dipper screamed at the sight of the big, red mark.

"Ha ha! Gullible. It was just an accident with the leaf blower!" Mabel laughed at her brother's horror.

"You're lucky that wasn't a smooch mark." Said Evelyn. "Otherwise I'd have to hunt Norman down. No smooching til-"

"I'm thirty, I know." Mabel laughed at her sister's protectiveness. She thought it was nice.

"No Mabel, listen!" Dipper tried to get them back on track. "I'm trying to tell you that Norman is not what he seems!" He pulled out his journal.

Mabel gasped. "You think he might be a vampire? That would be so _awesome!"_

Evelyn sighed. "Why do young girls want to get with vampires? They suck blood like leeches, for duck's sake!"

Dipper ignored his older sister's comment. "Guess again, sister. SHA-BAM!"

Mabel screamed at the image of a gnome that was on the page.

"OH, wait. I'm-I'm sorry…" Dipper continued flipping through the pages until he found the page on the Undead. "Sha-bam!"

Mabel scoffed. "A zombie? That's not funny, Dipper."

Dipper was desperate to prove his point to Mabel. "I'm not joking! It all adds up: the bleeding, the limp. He never blinks! Have you noticed that?"

"Maybe _he's_ blinking when _you're_ blinking." Mabel reasoned.

Evelyn stayed were she was, not seeing an opportunity to voice her opinion.

"Mabel, remember what the book said about Gravity Falls? Trust no one!"

Mabel looked hurt and angry. "Well what about me, huh? Why can't you trust me?"

Mabel moved away to grab her earrings. To lighten the tension in the room, she said, "Beep bop!" as she put them in.

Dipper had had enough, ignoring his elder sister's gesture to cut it out. "Mabel!" he shook her. "He's gonna eat your brain!"

Mabel was furious. She pushed Dipper away.

"Dipper, listen to me. Norman and I are going on a date at five o'clock, and I'm going to be ADORABLE, and he's going to be DREAMY."

With each punctuated word she pushed Dipper further out of the room with her pointer finger.

"Bu- bu- but-" Dipper stuttered.

But Mabel continued. "And I'm not gonna let you ruin it with one of your crazy CONSPIRACIES!"

And with that, she slammed the door in her twin's face. Mabel stood in front of the door, shaking in anger, but Evelyn knew her sister well enough to see she was holding back tears.

"Oh, Mabel." Hearing her sister's sympathetic tone, Mabel turned her head partially in her sister's direction. "Come here."

Mabel all but ran into her sisters' arms, squeezing her tight. Evelyn ran her hand soothingly through her little sister's hair, hushing her as Mabel shook with the effort of holding in her tears.

Evelyn pulled back slightly, wiping away the few tears that had slipped out with her thumb. "You okay?"

Mabel nodded, before hesitating, and asking; "Can you finish brushing my hair?"

Evelyn knew that Mabel needed the comfort, so she said, "Sure."

Mabel turned herself in her sister's lap so that Evelyn had access to her hair.

As Evelyn picked up the brush and continued her ministrations, Mabel asked in a quiet voice, "Do you think Dipper is right? About Norman?"

Evelyn paused her brushing to think of the best way to say what she thought, before continuing. "Honestly, I don't believe that he's a zombie, but I do feel as though there's something off about him."

"Then why didn't you tell me to stay away from him like Dipper did?" Mabel questioned.

"Because I trust you." Mabel froze at that. "I trust your judgement. If you think that he's the guy for you, who am I to say no? I wouldn't think anyone's good enough for you, Mabel, since you're my little sister, but if he makes you happy, I won't get involved. Even if he was a zombie." Evelyn added jokingly, making Mabel give a watery laugh.

Mabel turned around so quickly that Evelyn didn't have time to put down the brush. Mabel crushed her sister in a hug, making them both fall over onto the bed.

Still curled up around her sister, Mabel said quietly, "Thank you for trusting me."

Embracing her sister a little tighter, Evelyn smiled. "You're welcome."

They lay down in silence for another minute, before Evelyn said, "How about we get you ready for your date?"

Mabel grinned.

 **-DaLD-**

 **Done par two! I hope you guys like the story so far. I had trouble deciding whether or not Evelyn should join her brother outside, but I decided that Mabel would be pretty upset about fighting with her twin and decided to work with that.**

 **I really enjoy writing the bonding scenes between siblings, so I'll try to add more of them. And part three will be the rest of Episode one, so hooray for that. Thanks again to anyone who favourite, followed, or reviewed on my story!**

 **To Guest, I thank you for pointing that out. I will certainly work on making her flaws more noticeable in the future. I plan on gradually showing more of her character as the story progresses, like how she interacts with others or how she's like when she's alone. So for the first few chapters, she might seem a bit too perfect, and I apologize if that bothers you. I totally plan on having moments where her flaws and more pronounced. Thank you again, it really helps.**

 **Please favourite, follow and review this story and I apologize for any grammar mistakes there may be. No flames, please! –Aria**

 **(I don't own Gravity Falls.)**


	4. Chapter III: Tourist Trapped (part 3)

Evelyn was adding some last touches to her sister's outfit when the doorbell rang. Mabel looked at her sister in excitement before rushing down the stairs.

"Coming!" she yelled at the door.

As Mabel answered the door, Evelyn made her way over to Dipper, who was sitting dejectedly on the loveseat.

"How're you doing, Dip?" Evelyn asked.

Dipper looked up at his sister before looking back at the footage they had gathered.

"Soos was right, Evelyn. I don't have any real evidence."

They both looked at the footage, watching Norman try (and fail) to learn hopscotch. Dipper fast-forwarded the tape in one last feeble attempt to find evidence. "I guess I can be kind of paranoid sometimes and-" Dipper cut himself off when they both watched Norman's hand fall off, before he re-attached it.

"Wait, WHAT!?"

They re-watched it. Dipper screamed, the chair tipping back with this momentum and causing them both to fall down. They sat up, Evelyn looking dazed.

"You were right." Evelyn said in shock, not having believed that zombies could exist.

"I was right. I was right! He said in victory, ecstatic that he'd been correct. "You owe me five bucks!"

"Dipper…" Evelyn said in realisation, dread dripping from her tone. "You were **RIGHT**."

Realization dawned on Dipper, his face paling. "I was right. Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh!"

The two raced outside to find Grunkle Stan, who was guiding a tour.

"Grunkle Stan! Grunkle Stan! Grunkle Stan!" they screamed, trying to get his attention.

But Stan didn't hear them. "And here we have Rock that looks like a face rock; the rock that looks like a face."

Evelyn deadpanned. 'So that's why he wanted me to carve a face in a rock…'

She was even more annoyed when the tourists started asking stupid questions, like 'Is it a face?', or 'Is it a rock?'. Stan was so busy dealing with the tourists that they didn't manage to garner his attention. Dipper turned and saw Wendy driving up in the golf club. An idea struck him, and, pulling Evelyn by the hand, he ran over to Wendy.

"Wendy! Wendy! Wendy! I need to borrow the golf cart so I can save my sister from a zombie!" Dipper cried.

Wendy looks at Evelyn and winks conspirationally, not believing Dipper's excuse. Wendy tossed the keys to Dipper and started to walk away casually. "Try not to hit any pedestrians." She called to Dipper.

Dipper held the keys to the cart and was about to get in the driver's side, when a hand outstretched, as if expecting something to be put into her palm.

"Hand it over, Dip." Evelyn said.

"But Evie, we don't have time-" Dipper tried to get past her, but she wouldn't move.

"Exactly. And who out of the two of us is actually qualified to drive." Dipper pointed at her. "So hand me the keys. I'd like to live to save Mabel."

He sighed and handed over the keys. Evelyn nodded, then got into the driver's seat, Dipper climbing into the passenger side. They'd just buckled up and were starting to drive away, when Soos stopped them.

"Dudes, it's me: Soos. This is for the zombies." He handed them a shovel.

"Thanks." Dipper said.

Soos handed them a baseball bat. "And this is in case you see a piñata."

"Uh… Thanks?" Evelyn said.

As they drove off, they heard Soos yell, "Better safe than sorry!"

"Well, I'm definitely using the bat." Evelyn said darkly. "But not for a piñata."

Dipper gulped and, for a moment, felt pity for the zombie that had taken Mabel.

-DaLD-

They'd been driving for a few minutes, when they thought they heard Mabel's scream in the distance.

"Don't worry Mabel! We'll save you from the zombie!" Dipper yelled.

"Or whatever!" Evelyn added.

They both tensed when they heard Mabel's voice screaming 'Help!'. Evelyn pulled a sharp turn in the direction of the scream.

"Hold on!" Dipper yelled to his twin, though he knew she couldn't hear him.

They drove on a small trail that led into a strange clearing in the forest, with hollow trees and mushrooms everywhere. Evelyn stopped the cart and turned to the strangest sight she'd ever seen.

In a clearing, Mabel was fighting off a group of tiny men with pointy hats, who seemed to be attempting to tie her down. Off to the side, one of the tiny men was throwing up a never-ending rainbow.

'What the hell?!' Evelyn thought.

Her brother seemed to share her sentiments. "What the _heck_ is going on here?!"

The little men hissed at the interruption.

"Dipper!Evelyn! Norman turned out to be a bunch of gnomes! And they're total jerks!" A gnome pulled on Mabel's hair, making her cry out in pain. "Hair! Hair! Hair!"

Dipper looked at Evelyn. "Gnomes? Huh, I was way off."

"Yeah, you owe me five bucks, Dipper." Said Evelyn smugly.

Dipper sighed, then flipped through the journal, stopping on the page about gnomes. "Gnomes: little men of the Gravity Falls Forest. Weaknesses: unknown."

When the two siblings looked up, they realised that the gnomes had succeeded in tying Mabel up.

"Aw, come on!" Mabel complained.

Evelyn rushed forward to untie her, but a group of gnomes ran up and bit at her toes to keep her back.

"Hey!" Evelyn exclaimed.

"Hey, HEY! Let go of my sister! And back off!" Dipper yelled.

Evelyn walked slowly back to the cart, trying not to attract the attention of the gnomes as she snuck the bat out of the back.

While this was going on, one gnome with a brown beard hopped up on a mushroom to reason with Dipper. "Oh! Ha, ha, hey there! Um, you know, this is all just a big misunderstanding. You see, your sister's not in danger. She's just marrying all one thousand of us and becoming our gnome queen for all eternity! Isn't that right, honey?"

"You guys are all butt-faces!" Mabel yelled, a gnome quickly covering her mouth after.

"Mmmm-MMMMM!" Mabel yelled more profanities from behind the gnome's hand. If there was one thing her sister taught her, it was to not go without a fight.

Dipper held his shovel threateningly. "Give her back right now, or else!"

The brown-bearded gnome tried to look threatening despite his small stature. "You think you can stop us, boy? You have no idea what we're capable of. The gnomes are a powerful race! Do not trifle with the-"

Dipper casually picked him up with the shovel and tossed him into the forest.

In anger, the gnomes retaliated and went to attack Dipper. Dipper prepared himself for the onslaught, tensing and closing his eyes, when he heard Evelyn yell "Batter up!"

He opened his eyes to see his older sister smack a leaping gnome midair, making it soar past the trees in the clearing with ease. He looked at her and she grinned.

"That was a homerun." He commented. "Nice."

"Thanks." She said, still grinning.

Dipper rushed to break his twins' bonds while Evelyn smacked any gnome that got in his way, leaving a trail of dazed gnomes behind her.

Once Mabel was back up, she kicked a gnome that tried to keep her down. The trio then rushed to the cart, desperate to escape the tiny terrors. Evelyn went back to the driver's seat, Dipper squeezing in beside her and Mabel sat at the end of the seat.

The gnome with the brown beard got up and started shouting. "He's getting away with our queen!" he cried. "No,no,no!"

Evelyn ignored him. "Seatbelts." She reminded her siblings.

They strapped themselves in and Evelyn went careening out of the clearing, leaving a cloud of dust in her wake.

Evelyn could faintly hear the cries of the angry gnomes, but she wasn't terribly worried. It was like they could _grow_ or anything…

Mabel was still panicked. "Hurry, before they come after us!"

Dipper, like his elder sister, wasn't worried. "Evelyn's fine at this speed." He said. "I wouldn't worry about it. Did you see their little legs? Those suckers are tiny!"

Evelyn stopped the cart when a loud stomping sound came from behind them. Her red eyes widened at the sight of the giant gnome-monster making its way towards them. Her reaction caught Mabel and Dipper's attention.

"Dang." Mabel said, shocked.

"You got that right." Evelyn mumbled.

The brown bearded gnome (Jeff, Mabel supplied) was at the top of the giant gnome monster. "Alright, team work guys. Like we practiced."

The gnomes let out a roar, magnified by all their voices.

"Move, MOVE!" Mabel and Dipper yelled.

"Don't have to tell me twice." Evelyn said, already speeding away.

The gnomes tried to punch the cart, but missed, making the gnomes have to reform the broken fist (of gnomes).

"Come back with our queen!" Jeff yelled at them.

"It's getting closer!" Mabel cried.

Evelyn grit her teeth, pushing the golf cart to its limit.

The Gnome Giant threw a few of the gnomes at the cart. They latched on, some of them chewing at the fabric roof, and generally causing chaos.

One gnome was on Mabel's side and she punched him, sending him flying.

Another messed up looking gnome jumped up behind Evelyn and Dipper. Evelyn grabbed the gnome and slammed it into the steering wheel in annoyance.

"Shmebulock…" the gnome whimpered pathetically as it fell out of the cart.

Another gnome jumped on Dipper's face, clawing at him. Mabel tried to punch it off as Evelyn used one of her hands to try to pry the gnome off as well.

"I'll save you Dipper!" Mabel yelled, succeeding in punching the gnome off.

Dipper, dazed and beat up, slurred, "Thanks, Mabel."

"Don't mention it." Said Mabel.

Suddenly, the Gnome Giant threw a tree in their path.

"Look out!" Mabel screamed.

The twins yelled as Evelyn swerved to avoid the tree, managing to drive in the gap under it. But she lost control of the wheel, the cart overturning as they landed right in front of the Mystery Shack. The siblings had just managed to crawl out of the wreckage when the Gnome Giant approached them.

Dipper yelled, "Stay back, man!"

He threw the shovel at the gnomes, who just smashed it, midair, rendering it useless.

"Well, that didn't work…" Evelyn muttered, staring wide-eyed at the monster.

The trio hugged each other in fear, screaming as the gnomes approached.

"Uh, where's Grunkle Stan?!" Dipper screamed.

"How oblivious _is_ he?! There's a giant freaking monster in front of the house!" Evelyn yelled, annoyed with her Grunkle.

"It's the end of the line, kids!" Jeff hollered from the peak of the giant. "Mabel, marry us before we do something crazy!"

Dipper searched for a way to fight back. "There's gotta be a way out of this!"

Mabel broke free from them to step forward, a determined look crossing her features. "I gotta do it!"

"No!" Evelyn yelled.

Dipper looked at Mabel as though she'd lost it. "What?! Mabel, don't do this! Are you crazy?"

"Trust me." Mabel stayed resolute.

"What?" Dipper asked.

Evelyn stared at her sister a moment, before nodding. She knew her sister, and Mabel had her 'I have a plan' look.

Mabel turned to Dipper, needing him to understand as well. "Dipper just this once, both of you, trust me!"

Dipper glanced at the gnomes before turning back to his twin, seeing the same look his older sister had seen. He backed up to stand beside Evelyn as Mabel faced the gnomes in front of them.

"All right, Jeff. I'll marry you."

Jeff did a little dance. "Hot dawg!" He started to climb down to reach Mabel. "Help me down there, Jason! Thanks Andy! All right, left foot, there we go, watch those fingers, Mike."

He finally made his way down to Mabel and held a beautiful diamond ring. "Eh? Eh?"

Mabel fluttered her eyes bashfully and held out her hand to Jeff. Jeff then quickly slipped the ring onto her finger.

"Bada-bing, bada-bam! Now let's get you back into the forest, honey!"

"You may now kiss the bride!" exclaimed Mabel, stalling.

Jeff bashfully went up to Mabel. "Well, don't mind if I do." He leaned forward, lips puckered.

Mabel leaned down as if she was going to kiss him, before quickly grabbing the leaf blower, turning it on and aiming it at Jeff.

"Ah! Hey, hey, wait a minute! Whoa,whoa! What's going on?!" He yelled before getting sucked halfway into the leaf-blower.

"That's for lying to me!" Mabel increased suction power. "THAT'S for breaking my heart!"

Jeff was now mostly sucked in. "Ow! My face!"

"And THIS is for messing with my brother and sister!" She aimed at the Gnome Giant, before turning to her siblings.

"Want to do the honours?" Mabel asked.

Dipper covered Mabel's hand with his and Evelyn put her hand over Dipper's, all three sharing a victorious smile.

"On three!" Evelyn exclaimed.

"One, two, three!" they yelled together, blasting Jeff towards the gnomes.

The force of Jeff hitting the gnomes caused the gnome monster to explode, separating the gnomes as they flew in random directions.

As he flew off, Jeff yelled, "I'll get you back for this!..."

The fallen gnomes were scrambling around useless without their leader. They all ran into the forest, but two got stuck in the trash around the forest. The goat carried one away, while Evelyn decided to release the other one, since it looked incredibly pathetic when it was fighting the plastic.

As she walked off to rescue the gnome, she heard the twins apologizing for not listening and not trusting the other, making Evelyn smile at the heartwarming scene. She carefully grabbed the gnome from the back of the shirt, the gnome only struggling more once it was in her grasp.

"Hey." Evelyn said calmly. "I'm trying to free you, you tiny terror."

The gnome stopped struggling, and Evelyn carefully unwrapped the plastic that was tying his limbs together. Once she finished, she quickly put the gnome down, expecting it to bite her. The gnome stared at her for a second, before rubbing its face against her calf in thanks and running on all fours into the woods.

"Well, that was weird." Evelyn shuddered.

She walked back to the twins as they shared an awkward sibling hug. "Pat pat." They said, patting each other's backs awkwardly.

"Now how about a normal group sibling hug?" Evelyn asked playfully, her arms outstretched.

The twins ran into her arms, the small family hugging each other tightly.

"Thanks for trusting me." said Mabel, her voice muffled from the hug.

"And thanks for believing me and following along with my zombie chase." Dipper added.

"Anything for my favourite brother and sister." Evelyn said as she released her siblings from her embrace.

"Now let's get cleaned up." She added, pointing at the cuts and bruises covering the twins.

As they walked in, Grunkle Stan looked up to see the mess they'd become since he'd last seen them. "Yeesh. You three get hit by a bus or somethin'? Ahah!"

The three were too exhausted to come up with anything to counter his words, and continued walking towards the house part of the Shack.

Feeling guilty, Stan awkwardly counted his earnings for the day. "Uh, hey! W-wouldn't you know it? Um, I accidentally overstocked some inventory, so, uh… how's about each of you take one item from the gift shop? On the house, y'know?"

Evelyn smiled, understanding what he was trying to do. The twins, however, were a little more skeptical.

"Really?" Mabel asked.

"What's the catch?" Dipper added suspiciously.

"The catch is do it before I change my mind, now take something." Stan said, not making eye contact.

The three shared a grin as they ran around the shop, trying to find the right object before Grunkle Stan decided to take back his offer.

Dipper stopped at a shelf full of hats with pine trees on them. He tried one on, admiring himself in the mirror. "Hmm. That oughta do the trick!"

Mabel dug around in a box full of books. She found the thing she wanted, carefully concealing it from her family's view, before dramatically revealing it to the others.

"And I will have a… GRAPPLING HOOK! Yes!"

Mabel hugged her new possession to her chest.

Stan turned to Dipper, and Evelyn, who was still inspecting a shelf of merchandise. "Wouldn't she rather have, like, a doll, or something?"

To prove him wrong, Mabel fired the grappling hook at a beam on the ceiling. The grappling hook managed to hang on, pulling Mabel up. "GRAPPLING HOOK!"

"Fair enough!" Stan conceded.

"Somehow, the grappling hook seems more Mabel than anything else." Evelyn paused, and then turned to her great uncle with curiosity. "Why do you even _have_ a grappling hook in stock?"

Stan shrugged, having no clue why he had any at all.

Evelyn continued her search, passing t-shirts, magic 8 balls, snow globes and posters. Finally, her eyes alighted on a strange necklace. It had a gold chain, the pendant being in the shape of a golden triangle. In the center of the triangle, was the silhouette of a bird, red in colour. Evelyn instantly fell in love with it. As she picked it up, a warm shock almost made her drop the necklace. It felt right, like she was meant to own the necklace in her hands.

She turned to her great uncle and said, "I'll take this one."

Dipper and Mabel hurried over to inspect what their big sister had chosen as her present, curious.

"Ooh, it's so pretty! It matches your eyes!" Mabel cooed, awed by how beautiful the necklace was.

"Yeah, it's really neat." Dipper said.

Evelyn furrowed her brow. She didn't remember stocking any necklace like that before, so where had it come from? "Grunkle Stan, when was this put in stock?"

Stan walked over to see what his great niece was talking about. A look of confusion crossed his face as he stared at the necklace in her hands, trying to remember. "Don't remember anything like _that_ being in stock." Stan stated bluntly. At his niece's concerned look, he added, "But with a memory like mine, I could probably forget where I put my hat when it's on my head."

Evelyn laughed, making Stan smile. Out of his great nieces and nephew, Evelyn was by far the most mature one of the bunch, even when she'd been little. But he remembered when she was just a toddler, running around the Mystery Shack and looking at things curiously with those big red eyes of hers. At first, he'd been weirded out slightly by the unnatural eye colour, but when she'd first looked up at him with her red eyes full of innocence, he knew he was instantly wrapped around her little finger. Not that she'd ever know that, though.

When she'd been a toddler, she'd loved the Shack, with all the strange and mysterious stuff inside it. For some reason, he felt like this summer would be just as interesting for her as they were when she was little.

Evelyn looked back at the necklace and delicately placed it around her neck. The weight of it was comforting, as if she'd always been wearing it.

"You look really pretty with the necklace, sis!" Mabel exclaimed brightly.

"Thanks, Mabel." Evelyn smiled. "Now let's go get bandaged up, okay?"

-DaLD-

A few hours after they'd been tended to by Evelyn and they changed into pajamas, the three of them were 'unwinding' in their room. Mabel was jumping up and down on her bed, Evelyn was reading a book, the pendant still around her neck, and Dipper sat writing in the journal. He looked up at his sister's with a smile, knowing they were the ones he could truly trust, unlike what the journal said.

They laughed as Mabel used her grappling hook to get a stuffed animal across the room, narrowly missing Evelyn's bed.

"Hey Mabel, could you get the light?" Dipper asked.

"I'm on it!" Mabel aimed her grappling hook and fired it at the light knocking it out the window. "It works!"

The siblings laughed again.

"Grappling hook."

"Goodnight, you two." Evelyn said turning to her side in bed.

"Goodnight!" the twins chorused.

Evelyn closed her eyes and smiled. This town was obviously more strange and mysterious than she thought. But with her brother and sister by her side, Evelyn was certain that they'd get to the bottom of it all and have the most amazing summer ever.

-DaLD-

Somewhere far away from Evelyn and the sleepy town of Gravity Falls, a being stirred. Opening its only eye, it laughed.

" **I found you, my Little Bird."**

 **-DaLD-**

 **Yay! It's finally finished! Now I can get deeper into the plot! I really hope you liked this chapter. The necklace will certainly be explained, along with its origins, eventually. But, til then, I'll let you guys figure it out yourselves!**

 **Thanks again to everyone that has reviewed, followed and/or favorited my story! You guys are amazing. And I am happy to tell you that Bill will be showing up a lot sooner than you might think. ;) I'm planning on updating a new chapter for tomorrow, so stay tuned!**

 **Please favourite, follow and review! Please excuse all my spelling mistakes. Thank you for reading and no flames, please! -Aria**


	5. Chapter IV: Legend of the Gobblewonker

_In her dream, Evelyn was in a foggy, gray version of the forest outside the Mystery Shack. There were no colours, and the fog was so dense that she could barely see two feet in front of her._

 _Evelyn stumbled around in the fog, trying to find a way out. After what felt like hours of traveling through the foggy landscape, Evelyn collapsed next to a tree, exhausted. She couldn't move anymore, but she felt as though she_ _ **had**_ _to. There was someone waiting for her in the forest, someone just out of reach._

 _Leaning against the tree, she sighed and closed her eyes. She wanted to find whoever was in the woods, but she was just too tired. As she opened her eyes, she noticed a distant light in the fog. She was trying to use the tree to lift herself when she heard a voice echo around her, coming from the fog._

" _ **Oh, Little Bird, come find me!**_ _" the voice, a man's, laughed._

 _The voice sounded strange. Though it was a man's voice, it sounded as though there was an echo in it, like multiple voices were speaking at once._

 _Evelyn tried to walk towards the sound of the voice. She_ _ **needed**_ _to see who it belonged to, felt compelled to find the speaker. She felt as though the voice was familiar, as though she should know who it belonged to._

 _Suddenly, she stumbled, feeling a pain in her head. Putting her head in her hands, she collapsed against a tree, clutching her head in mild agony._

" _ **Oh.**_ _" The voice said, sounding disappointed. "_ _ **You're waking up. Why can't you stay?**_ _"_

 _Clenching her teeth in pain, Evelyn tried to look around for the source of the voice one last time._

" _ **Oh well. If you're going to leave me for now, remember this: no matter what happens when you're awake, you're**_ _ **mine**_ _."_

-DaLD-

Evelyn gasped awake, her red orbs flickering around wildly, trying to make sense of her surroundings. She was still in her bed, in the attic of the Shack. Evelyn was shaken out of her half-asleep state by a burning sensation near her shoulder.

She pulled the strap of her tank top away, to see that the source of the stinging was her triangle shaped birthmark, located by her collarbone. Ever since she'd been little, the birthmark had always fascinated her, since it was in the shape of a perfectly shaped isosceles triangle, but this was the first time it had ever acted up.

Rubbing her birthmark until the stinging went away, Evelyn looked up at the time. The digital clock read 5:00 AM, making her groan in annoyance.

She turned over, trying to fall back to sleep. Eventually, she slipped into a dreamless slumber, momentarily forgetting her strange, realistic dream.

Around her neck, her pendant glowed.

-DaLD-

Mabel, Dipper and Evelyn sat at the breakfast table, holding syrup bottles in their hands.

"Are you ready for the ultimate challenge?" Mabel asked excitedly.

"I'm always ready!" Dipper cheered.

"I was born ready." Evelyn replied, a challenge in her eyes.

"Then you know what this means!" exclaimed Mabel.

"Syrup race!" the three chorused, turning the syrup bottles upside down, over their mouths.

"Go, Sir Syrup!" Mabel cried.

"Go, Mounty Man!" yelled Dipper.

"Go, Lazy Lady!" cheered Evelyn.

"Go, go, go, go!" they yelled at the slowly dripping syrup.

Just when it looked like Evelyn was going to win, Mabel tapped the top of her syrup bottle, forcing the syrup into her mouth.

"Yes!" Mabel coughed, choking on the syrup. "I won!"

Her siblings glared at her for cheating, before Dipper picked up the newspaper he'd been reading before he'd been challenged to a syrup race.

"Ho, ho, no way! Mabel, Evie, check this out." Dipper said, staring at one article in particular.

Mabel gazed at an ad on the opposite page. "Human-sized hamster balls?" Mabel gasped. "I'm human-sized!"

"I don't think that's what Dipper wanted to show us, Mabes." Evelyn said amusedly.

"Yeah, I was pointing at this." Dipper showed them an ad for a monster photo contest.

"We see weirder stuff than that every day!" Dipper said, looking at the photo taken by last month's winner. "We didn't get any photos of those gnomes, did we?"

"Nope, just memories. And this beard hair." Mabel pulled out a lock of beard hair.

Evelyn and Dipper shared a look of disgust. "Why did you save that?" they asked. Mabel shrugged in response.

Evelyn stared at the window for a moment, and said, "And I have a gnome stalking me."

The twins sharply turned their heads to the window. Outside, peeking out from the bottom of the window frame was the gnome that Evelyn had saved. It looked at Evelyn with puppy dog eyes, before slowly ducking back down.

"I think he imprinted on me or something." Evelyn said calmly, shrugging.

The twins weren't sure they should be more weirded out by the fact that their sister had a gnome stalking her, or the fact that she was acting totally blasé about it.

Stan Pines entered the kitchen, rubbing his stomach. "Good morning, knuckleheads. You three know what day it is?"

"Um… Happy Anniversary?" Dipper guessed.

"Mazel tov!" Mabel yelled.

"Your court trial?" Evelyn asked, only half-joking.

Stan pointed to Evelyn. "Good one, kid." He then turned to Dipper and hit him on the head with a rolled up newspaper. "It's Family Fun Day, genius!"

Stan walked to the fridge and took out the milk that Evelyn was sure had expired nearly a week ago. "We're cutting off work and having one of those, you know," he paused to sniff the milk, "bonding type deals."

"Grunkle Stan, is this gonna be anything like our last family bonding day?" Dipper asked cautiously.

Evelyn paused, thinking back to the day they'd made counterfeit money with Grunkle Stan. At least, until they were caught by the cops.

Mabel shuddered. "The county jail was so cold."

Evelyn nodded in agreement. "And I wasn't a huge fan of the food. Thank God Soos bailed us out."

"All right, maybe I haven't been the best summer caretaker. But, I swear, today we're gonna have some _real_ family fun." The siblings started to get excited at the prospect of a family adventure. "Now who wants to put on some blindfolds and get into my car?"

The three cheered, before what Stan said kicked in.

"Uh oh." Evelyn said, paling slightly.

"Wait, what?" Dipper asked.

-DaLD-

Somehow, Stan had managed to convince the others to put on the blindfolds. Mabel had done so willingly, thinking of it as an 'adventure-that-may-or-may-not-lead-to-certain-death'. Evelyn caved when Stan and Mabel ganged up on her, guilting her into going into the car blindfolded. Dipper, however, had to be coerced, though he was still not entirely sure it was safe.

Since Evelyn was unable to see, all she could hear was some grunting from Stan and the screeching of tires. They were not comforting sounds by any stretch of the imagination.

"Whoa, whoa!" Dipper sighed as the car swerved again. "Blindfolds never lead to anything good."

"Too right you are bro-bro." Evelyn agreed. "How did they manage to convince me this was okay again?"

Her rhetorical question went unanswered as Mabel felt up her twin and her older sister's faces. "Wow! I feel like all my other senses are heightened. I can see with my fingers!" Mabel said, making her siblings laugh.

Their laughter was cut short by being violently slammed into the sides of the car as the car somehow jumped.

"Jeez! Grunkle Stan, are _you_ wearing a blindfold too?" asked Evelyn, only half joking.

"Ha ha. Nah, but with these cataracts I might as well be. What is that, a wood pecker?" Stan squinted.

Evelyn felt them drive through a wooden guardrail, making her grab the twins and hold them close as they screamed.

-DaLD-

After they managed to survive the drive there, Stan guided them out of the car into wherever he'd brought them to. Evelyn had taken to clutching her new pendant during the drive, since it somehow calmed her down. It was as if the pendant itself was radiating a soothing aura. Even though she was probably just imagining it, she still felt better because of it.

"Okay, okay. Oppen 'em up!" Stan told the three.

They all took off their blindfolds, curious to see where their Grunkle had taken them. Before the siblings, was the Gravity Falls Lake. It seemed to be incredibly busy, with townspeople all over the lake.

"Ta-da! It's fishing season!" Stan said, theatrically showing them the lake.

"Fishing?" Mabel asked.

Dipper was suspicious. "What're you playing at, old man?"

"You're gonna love it!" Stan tried to sell it to his great nieces and nephew. "The whole town's out here."

Evelyn observed the people on the lake more closely. Lazy Susan, the diner waitress, was trying to convince the fish to jump into her pan, a plan destined to fail. Toby Determined, a failing and creepy journalist, was taking a picture of a fisherman. The flash of his camera blinded the fisherman, making him fall backwards into the lake. Evelyn winced, and then continued her observations of the colourful people of the town. Manly Dan, the lumberjack, was fishing with his sons, which would have been heartwarming had it not turned into a test of testosterone. Manly Dan started to punch the fish he'd caught with his bare hands, his sons and a man named Tyler Cutebiker cheering him on as Evelyn looked at them strangely.

'This town is crazier than I imagined.' She thought to herself.

She turned back to Grunkle Stan as he started to speak. "That's some quality family bonding!"

"Grunkle Stan, why do you wanna _bond_ with us all of a sudden?" Dipper asked, still suspicious.

"Yeah, it was kinda out of the blue." Evelyn agreed.

Stan ignored their comments, trying to boost up their spirits instead. "Come on, this is gonna be great! I've never had fishing buddies before. The guys from the lodge won't go with me; they don't 'like' or 'trust' me."

Mabel leaned backwards to whisper to her siblings. "I think he actually wants to fish with us."

Evelyn nodded. "He seems genuine." She whispered back.

Stan hadn't heard their whispering, having been trying to find something in his bag. Having found it, he turned back to the siblings.

"Hey, I know what'll cheer you sad sacks up." He slapped a hat down on each of their heads. "Pow! Pines fishing hats! That's-that's hand stitching, you know."

Evelyn's curious red eyes stared at the hat that she'd put into her palm. The 'E' in 'Evelyn' was backwards, and the stitching was terrible, but it still warmed her heart, knowing that he'd made it just for them. Stan was also looking proudly at his work.

"It's just gonna be you, me, and those goofy hats on a boat for ten hours!"

'And there went the warm feeling.' Evelyn thought.

"Ten hours?" Dipper asked, shocked.

"I brought the joke book!" Stan held up the despised '1001 Yuk 'Em Ups' joke book.

"No! NO!" Dipper panicked, his cries going unheard by his great uncle.

Evelyn cringed, remembering how awful those jokes had been.

Mabel was horrified. "There _has_ to be a way out of this." She whispered.

Their horror was cut off by Old Man McGucket, the town kook (Which said a lot in a town like Gravity Falls), who was running around, yelling and grabbing people.

"I SEEN IT! I SEEN IT AGAIN!" he ran from the docks, knocking things aside as he headed towards the Pines family and the shack of the lake ranger, trying to find somebody official to tell his story to.

"The Gravity Falls Gobblewonker!" he continued. "Come quick before it scrabdoodles away!"

Old Man McGucket then started to do a frantic jig.

"Awww… he's doing a happy jig!" exclaimed Mabel, always the optimist.

McGucket ran over to Mabel. Evelyn, who was concerned about his (Obviously lost) mental state, pushed her little sister behind her as McGucket approached.

"NOOO!" McGucket shook Evelyn as he talked to Mabel. "It's a jig of grave danger!"

Suddenly, the lake ranger came out with a squirt bottle, squirting Old Man McGucket.

"Hey, hey! Now what did I tell you about scaring my customers? This is your last warning dad!"

Evelyn raised her eyebrows in surprise at the revelation that McGucket had a son, as McGucket let go of her, trying to scamper away from the spray of water. Evelyn, who was still dizzy from the violent shaking, was helped out of the way by her concerned siblings.

"You okay Evie?" Mabel asked.

"Yeah, McGucket really did a number on you." Dipper added.

"I'm fine, you two." Evelyn reassured them.

In front of them, McGucket was arguing with his son.

"But I got proof this time, by gummity!" McGucket yelled, trying to get his son to believe him.

McGucket ran back to the docks, his son, the Pines family, the police (who were patrolling the lake) and a small crowd gathered to see the 'proof'.

McGucket pointed to a smashed boat at the end of the dock. "BEHOLD! It's the Gobble-dy-wonker what done did it! It had a long neck like a gee-raffe! And wrinkly skin like… like this gentleman right here!" McGucket pointed at Grunkle Stan, who was picking his ear, earning a disgusted look from his eldest great niece.

"Huh?" Stan grunted, not following.

"It chowed my boat up to smitheroons," continued McGucket. "And shim-shammed over to Scuttlebutt Island! YOU GOTTA BELIEVE ME!"

McGucket looked at his son pleadingly, who looked hesitant.

Sheriff Blubs, however, ended any thoughts of the lake ranger's to side with his father when he mocked, "Attention all units! We've got ourselves a crazy old man!"

With that, everyone but the Pines family and the lake ranger pointed and laughed at how crazy Old Man McGucket was. Shaking his head in shame, the lake ranger walked off, the rest of the crowd dispersing as well, save for the Pines family and McGucket.

McGucket looked crushed as he walked away. "Aww, donkey spittle! Aw, banjo polish!"

Stan was relatively unaffected by the drama that he'd just witnessed. "Well, that happened." He said blankly.

He leaned over the side of the dock to untie a small, old boat named the 'Stan-o-war'. "Now let's untie this boat and get out on that lake!"

Just looking at the structurally unsound boat made Evelyn feel unsafe. How would she last on it? Dipper, however, was more focused on what McGucket had said about the monster. "Mabel, Evelyn, did you hear what that old dude said?"

"Aww, donkey shpittle!" Mabel mimicked.

Dipper shook his head. "The other thing. About the monster. If we can snag a photo of it, we can split the prize between the three of us!"

"How much was the prize again?" Evelyn asked.

"One thousand, five hundred dollars." Dipper replied.

Mabel gasped exaggeratedly. "That's three five hundreds!"

"Imagine what you could do with five. Hundred. Dollars!" Dipper sad to the two.

Evelyn turned to look at her sister, who was in the midst of a daydream. 'If I know my sister,' thought Evelyn, 'she's day-dreaming about the giant hamster ball.'

Evelyn thought about what she would do with the money. She imagined herself in a room full of books, practically swimming in the sheer volume of books.

Dipper tried to wake his sister's from their reveries, snapping his fingers in their faces. "Mabel! Evelyn?"

They snapped out of it, Mabel turning to her brother. "Dipper, I am one million percent on board with this!"

"Same here! But how will we get to the island? Grunkle Stan seems pretty set on fishing." Evelyn pointed out.

Dipper thought for a moment, before running to his great uncle. "Grunkle Stan! Change of plans: we're taking that boat to Scuttlebutt Island, and we're gonna find that Gobblewonker!"

The siblings started to chant. "Monster hunt! Monster hunt!"

Old Man McGucket came back and started to chant with them, causing the three to stop and stare at the kook.

McGucket cheered. "Monster… eh… I'll go."

As he left, Evelyn heard a honking sound coming towards them, making her look up. In front of them, was Soos in a decent sized boat.

He pulled up beside the dock. "You dudes say somethin' about a monster hunt?"

"Soos!" They cheered, except for Stan, who looked put out.

"How's it going?" Evelyn asked kindly.

"It's going good. I found some old chips underneath a cushion on the boat, so that was an adventure." Soos turned to Mabel, fist raised for a fist bump. "Wassup, ham-bone."

They fist bumped, making badly timed explosion noises. Soos then got back on track. "Dude, you could totally use my boat for your hunt. It's got a steering wheel, chairs: normal boat stuff."

'Not when it's Grunkle Stan's boat.' Evelyn thought.

The twins were about to head off with Soos on his boat when Grunkle Stan got their attention.

"All right, all right, let's think this through. You kids _could_ go waste your time on some 'epic monster-finding' adventure, _or_ you could spend the day learning how to tie knots and skewer worms with your Great Uncle Stan!"

Evelyn saw the twins look between Soos and Stan as Soos did a robot dance and Stan smelled his armpit. Evelyn personally didn't want to leave her uncle, because, though the twins might be ignoring it, he was actually trying to bond with them. But, if the twins went with Soos, so would Evelyn. She refused to have her precious baby brother and sister in danger without her there to get them out of it.

Seeing her siblings decide to go with Soos, Evelyn sighed. As she climbed aboard the S. Dude, she prepared herself for the crippling guilt from leaving her uncle that she'd no doubt feel all day.

Unaware that the twins had already decided, Stan, confident that he was the better choice, asked, "So, whaddya say?"

When he looked up, all he saw was the back of the boat as it sailed away with the siblings on it. He heard Mabel yell, "We made the right choice!"

Then he heard Evelyn yell to him. "I'll keep an eye on them, Grunkle Stan!"

"Ingrates!" Stan yelled, turning to sit in his dinky boat. "Aw, who needs 'em? I got a whole box of creepy fishing lures to keep me company."

He looked down at the lures in his tackle box, cringed in disgust, and closed the box. Stan sighed. He should have known the twins would choose an adventure over Family Day. He was slightly relieved, however, that Evelyn would be watching over them. He knew his great niece would never let the twins get hurt, even at her own expense. He was just grateful that Evelyn had taken all those karate and self-defence classes. It would take a small army to bring down _his_ great niece, he thought proudly.

Then he scowled. Those low lives still ditched him for Soos.

-DaLD-

Dipper was at the stern of the boat, adjusting his cap and standing proud, feeling adventurous. Evelyn watched him with an amused smile as he barked orders to everyone.

"Hoist the anchor!" Dipper yelled.

Soos hurried to pull up his cinderblock anchor.

"Raise the flag!" he yelled to his sisters.

Mabel and Evelyn raised the beach towel they were using as a flag.

"We're gonna find that Gobblewonker!" exclaimed Mabel.

"We're gonna win that photo contest!" Dipper added.

Evelyn gave the twins a knowing look. "Did either of you remember to bring the sunscreen?"

Dipper paused, embarrassed. "We're gonna… go get sunscreen!"

Soos turned the boat around, Evelyn smirking as they sheepishly went back to get the forgotten sunscreen.

-DaLD-

Once they got the sunscreen, they were back on track. Dipper had made the others line up as he paced in front of them. Evelyn was greatly amused by all of this, though she couldn't help but feel that niggling guilt that was always in the back of her head for leaving Grunkle Stan alone.

She really did not agree with the twins' decision, but it would be a cold day in Hell before she left her siblings alone in any situation. Evelyn did wonder why the twins hadn't invited Grunkle Stan to join them though. Was it because of the awful joke book?

Dipper inadvertently broke her from her train of thought when he started speaking. "Alright. If we wanna win this photo contest, we've gotta do this right. Think, what's the number one problem with most monster hunts?"

Soos answered immediately. "You're a side character, and then you die in the first five minutes of the movie." He paused, panic leaking into his eyes. "Dude, am I a side character?! Do y'ever think of stuff like that?"

"Or if you're a girl, normally with a decent sized chest, your shirt somehow rips when you're being chased to reveal more skin than necessary, to appeal to the male audience." Added Evelyn. She paused, and then blinked. "That won't happen with our group, right?"

Evelyn felt as if her necklace was somehow feeling enraged by her statement, as if it was exuding waves of anger. She blinked in surprise. Why on earth would she think her _necklace_ was angry at the thought of someone seeing more of her skin? Was the town making her crazy?!

Dipper blushed in embarrassment and disgust at his sister's question, trying not to lead the conversation in that direction. "No,no,no! Camera trouble! Say Bigfoot shows up." He turned to Soos. "Soos, be Bigfoot?"

Soos started walking, only to pause mid step and look at an invisible person in a blatant Bigfoot impression. 'He makes a decent Bigfoot.' Evelyn thought.

"There he is!" Dipper said in mock surprise. "Bigfoot!" he began to pat his vest exaggeratedly. "Uh-oh, no camera!" Then he pulled out a disposable camera, lifting it up. "Oh wait, here's one! Aw, no film!"

Dipper then returned to his usual tone. "You see? You see what I'm doing here?"

"Yeah. Dude's got a point." Soos agreed.

"That's why I bought _twenty one_ disposable cameras." Dipper said proudly. He showed each camera as he listed their locations. "Two on my ankle, three in my jacket, four for each of you, three extras in this bag, and one… under my hat!"

Evelyn snickered, though she was mildly impressed with his dedication. Then a question dawned on her. "Wait, Dipper, how did you afford all these? Grunkle Stan doesn't usually give us that much money voluntarily."

Dipper looked away nervously. "I may or may not have been *cough* doing the laundry *cough*cough* to take out the change that Grunkle Stan forgets in his pockets."

"Wait…" Evelyn's eyes widened in realisation. "I forget my money in my shorts all the time! I thought the washing machine was taking it or something! You little-!"

Dipper tried to dodge her attack, changing the topic to hopefully distract his vengeful sister. "Okay everybody, let's test our cameras out!"

Soos took a selfie, but the flash startled him, causing him to throw the camera into the lake. "Aw, dude!"

Dipper remained calm. "You see? This is exactly why you need backup cameras. We still have twenty!"

Mabel threw a camera at a passing bird. "Ah, bird!"

Evelyn then noticed a large spider and screamed, crushing it with a camera, destroying said camera in the process. "Eww, spider!"

"Eighteen! Okay, guys, I repeat, don't lose your cameras!"

Soos misheard. "Wait, lose the cameras?"

"DON'T!" Dipper yelled, panicked.

"Dude, I just threw two away."

"Sixteen! All right! We still have sixteen cameras-" Dipper accidentally crushed a camera and twitched in anger. "Fifteen. We have fifteen cameras."

"So, what's the plan? Throw more cameras overboard or what?" Mabel asked as she and Evelyn held their cameras over the side of the boat teasingly.

"NO!" Dipper yelled. "No. Okay. You two will be lookout, Soos can work the steering wheel, and I'll be captain."

"What? Why do you get to be captain?" Mabel complained. "What about Mabel, huh? Ma-bel! Ma-bel! Ma-bel! Ma-bel!" she chanted.

Dipper was unsure about Mabel leading _anything_. "I'm not so sure that's a good idea."

"What about co-captain?" Mabel asked.

"There's no such thing as co-captain." Dipper said derisively.

"Aw, whoops." Mabel said as she tossed a camera overboard.

Dipper caved. "Okay, fine! You can be co-captain."

"What about me? Did you forget that I was here?" Evelyn said dramatically, wiping away a fake tear.

Mabel gasped, taking her seriously. "Evie, we would never forget about you!" she ran to hug her sister, giving a death glare to Dipper as she said, "Dipper was just about to make you second co-captain. _Right, Dipper_?"

Dipper sighed at how ridiculous his sisters were sometimes. "Right. Evie, you're second co-captain."

"Can I be associate second co-captain?" Soos asked.

Mabel smiled. "As co-captain, I authorize that request."

"Well, as first co-captain, our number one order of business is to lure the monster out with this." Dipper gestured to a huge barrel full of fish food.

"Smells disgusting." Evelyn said, wrinkling her nose.

"Permission to taste some?" asked Soos.

Dipper paused for a moment. "Granted."

Mabel, who was still wrapped around her sister's slender waist, looked up to answer Soos. "Co-granted."

Evelyn smirked in anticipation. "Co- _co_ -granted."

Soos raised his hand. "Associated co-co-granted."

He then proceeded to take a handful of the fish food and stuff it into his mouth. Only a second later, he spat it out, furiously wiping his tongue to take the taste out of his mouth as the siblings howled with laughter.

"Dude, I don't know what I expected that to taste like!"

They continued laughing, Evelyn wiping away a few tears, and said, "Oh, Soos…"

She suddenly felt as though someone was watching them. Turning around, she saw Stan turning away in his boat, no doubt grumbling about how they were 'traitors'. She felt another pang of guilt, watching him go off to try to find someone to spend the day with. She wondered if she should have spent the day with him instead. The twins would have been in good hands with Soos.

She felt a hand slip into her own and looked down. Mabel had taken her hand, trying to lead her to another part of the boat. Evelyn grabbed Dipper's hand to drag him along as well, a habit of hers.

As she felt her siblings hands cling to her own, she realised that she wouldn't have been able to leave them without being worried sick.

Besides, it was only a monster hunt. They'd be back with Stan, safe and sound, in no time at all. What could possibly go wrong?

 **-DaLD-**

 **Hey guys! Hope you liked this chapter, and sorry in advance for the spelling mistakes in this chapter. I'm finishing this last minute, since I have some guests over.**

 **I originally thought about having Evelyn stay with Stan and have some bonding moments, but then I realized that it would go against Evelyn's very character to leave her siblings alone. I also hope you enjoyed the little snippets of a** _ **mysterious**_ **voice in her dreams. Who could it be? ;)**

 **I'll try to update soon, so please follow, favorite and review this story! Thank you for reading! –Aria**

 **P.S. I don't own Gravity Falls**


	6. Chapter V: Legend of the Gobblewonker p2

As they approached the island, Evelyn realised how hard it was to see because of the strange fog that blanketed Scuttlebutt Island.

Evelyn and Dipper were attempting to peer through the fog as Soos threw the fish food over the back of the boat piece by piece to attract the Gobblewonker.

Beside the two, Mabel had managed to keep a pelican in place to be her new ventriloquist dummy.

"Hey, how's it going?" Mabel asked normally.

She then changed her voice to be the pelican. "It's going awesome! Bow bow, buh bow bow!"

Dipper was not amused. "Mabel leave that pelican alone."

Mabel responded as the pelican. "Aw, I don't mind none!"

Evelyn approached the pelican and gently took its beak from Mabel, before she turned the pelican's head towards Dipper.

"Oooohh, Dipper!" She copied the throaty voice Mabel had done, "I have loved you from afar for so long! Please, take my wing and together we will start our beautiful life together! I will catch all the fish in the lake for you, _my looove!_ " she crooned pretending to be the pelican.

"Gross." Dipper muttered as Mabel laughed behind him. "Evie, you're being immature."

Evelyn crossed her arms, letting go of the pelican's bill and smirked. "Being mature all the time is for boring grown-ups. What's life without being a little childish sometimes?"

"Yeah, but now you're fueling Mabel's ridiculousness." Dipper pointed at his twin, who had regained control of the pelican.

"Hey, look, I'm drinking water!" Mabel exclaimed before drinking the glass of water and trying to do the pelican voice. "Twinkle, twinkle, little…" she choked on the water, startling the pelican, which flew off.

After sharing a look with Dipper, Evelyn went over to pat Mabel on the back, trying to help her sister regain her breath.

"Aren't you supposed to be doing look out?" Dipper asked Mabel.

"Look out!" Mabel yelled, throwing a volleyball at him. Dipper held his arm in pain, shuddering for a moment.

"Where did you get the volleyball?" Evelyn asked curiously, Mabel shrugging in response.

"Heh heh." Mabel giggled, looking at her brother. "But seriously, I'm on it."

As she said that, the boat lurched, having crashed into the island.

"See? We're here! I'm a lookout genius Hamsterball, here I come!" Mabel exclaimed as she jumped ashore.

Evelyn face palmed, before jumping off the as well.

-DaLD-

The four 'monster hunters' were walking through the woods of Scuttlebutt Island. Dipper led the way, carrying the lantern. Mabel and Evelyn, who were holding each others hands, were in the middle, and Soos made up the back.

They passed by a large tree with a sigh nailed to it, saying 'Scuttlebutt Island'. As Mabel and Soos stopped in front of it, Evelyn said to Dipper, "Who on _earth_ names an island 'Scuttlebutt?' Who stood here, and said 'Why, this is a strange, foggy island. Let's name it Scuttlebutt!'"

Dipper thought on it, laughed, and then reminded her, "Well, we're in Gravity Falls. If the people who founded this town were half as weird as they are today, their first thought _would_ be to call it Scuttlebutt."

They both laughed, imagining the townspeople of today naming the island. It would probably be some ridiculously long name like Scruffleplumkingshire, or something about racoons.

They looked up at Mabel and Soos. Soos was blocking out the 'Scuttle' in Scuttlebutt, obviously making some immature butt joke.

As they joined the others, Evelyn heard Mabel say, "Soos, you rapscallion!"

Mabel quickly turned to her siblings in confusion. "Hey! Why aren't you laughing? Are you _scared_?"

Dipper looked nervous, but tried to cover it up. "Pssh! Yeah right! I'm not-"

Mabel poked Dipper on the nose, blowing a raspberry. "Yeah, you are!"

"Hey!" Dipper dropped the lantern, Mabel continuing her poking and raspberry blowing. "Quit…! Stop! Mabel! Go annoy Evie!"

"No can do, bro bro." Mabel shrugged. "Evie's braver than you are. It'll take more than mischievous me and some foggy island monster hunt to freak our big sis out!"

As she said that, they heard a weird growling noise in the distance. Everyone stopped and looked around.

"I'm not scared yet." said Evelyn, trying to be calm. "But I'm getting there."

"Dude," Soos murmured, "Did you guys hear that?"

"What _was_ that? Was it your stomach?" Mabel asked Soos hopefully.

"Nah, my stomach normally sounds like whale noises." Soos explained.

Mabel and Evelyn put their ears to Soos' stomach, curious. They heard whale noises, making Mabel become awed by the sound, and Evelyn bewildered.

"Wow. So majestic." whispered Mabel.

"I'm not entirely sure that's natural, or healthy." Evelyn added.

A possum came out of some bushes and took the fallen lantern, running away.

"Our lantern!" Dipper cried. "Aww! I can't see anything!"

"This has officially become creepy now." Evelyn stated, scooting closer to the others.

"Duuude, I dunno, man." Soos said nervously, glancing around. "Maybe this, uh… Maybe this isn't worth it."

But Dipper was determined to see it through. "Not worth it? Guys, imagine what would happen if we got that picture!"

Evelyn stared at the twins as they went into their respective fantasies. She personally wasn't seeing the excitement in the hunt anymore. She was already guilt-ridden for leaving Stan, and now she was getting progressively more nervous in the forest. She clutched her necklace for comfort, and was instantly calmed down.

In her worry of their current situation, she didn't pause and wonder why her new necklace already made her feel better just by holding it. Those thoughts would only come much later.

The twins broke from their fantasies, smiling.

"I'm in!" Dipper exclaimed.

"Me too!" Mabel added.

"So am I, I guess." Evelyn said as the twins ran off. She followed them, leaving Soos alone.

"All right dudes, I'm coming!" Realizing that he was outnumbered, Soos chased after the Pines.

-DaLD-

They'd been traveling closer and closer to where the heard the growl to find the source of the noise. To pass the time, Mabel and Soos were rapping as Dipper and Evelyn took the lead.

"My name is Mabel!" Mabel rapped with Soos beatboxing beside her. "It rhymes with table! It also rhymes with glabel! It also rhymes with shmabel! It also rhymes with…" Mabel paused, drawing a blank.

"Fable?" Evelyn called over her shoulder, walking ahead of Mabel and Soos.

"Fable! Evie, you're a lyrical genius!" Mabel exclaimed.

"Dude, we should be writing this down." commented Soos.

Dipper suddenly paused, holding one of his cameras. "Guys, guys, guys! You hear something?"

Everyone stopped, and heard the same growling noise from before. Birds were flying _away_ from the direction of the sound. 'Which is _never_ a good sign.' Evelyn thought to herself.

"This is it! This is it!" Dipper said excitedly.

He and Mabel started walking towards the sound, punching each other excitedly and quietly cheering.

Soos and Evelyn exchanged a look and took two branches to defend themselves from whatever was there.

They walked in the fog, which reminded Evelyn eerily of her dream. Soos stopped them when he spotted what looked like a lake monster's silhouette. The group dived to hide behind a log, observing the silhouette by peaking over the log cautiously.

Evelyn dropped her stick and took out one of her cameras as Dipper whispered to the group, "Everyone: get your cameras ready!"

They all turned on their cameras, getting ready to run. Evelyn was tense, waiting for the signal.

"Ready?"Dipper then yelled, "GO!"

Soos yelled and hilariously jumped over the log and ran towards the 'lake monster', holding his camera out in front of him as he snapped photos randomly. The other three ran after him, only to realise as they got closer, that the 'lake monster' was actually the remains of a boat with beavers playing on it.

Evelyn watched the adorable sight of the beavers cavorting around with mild perplexity and the sudden, overwhelming urge to hug one of the adorable creatures.

Dipper was in denial. "But…but what was that noise then? I heard a monster noise!"

They jumped as they heard the 'monster noise', and saw that it was caused by a beaver chewing on a chainsaw, which would occasionally activate.

"Sweet! Beaver with a chainsaw." Soos began taking photos of the beaver.

"That can't be safe." Murmured Evelyn, more amused than concerned.

Dipper was heartbroken. "Maybe that old guy was crazy after all."

"He did use the word 'scrapdoodle'." Mabel agreed.

Dipper sighed, disappointed.

Evelyn patted Dipper's shoulder, and when he looked up, she opened up her arms for a hug. Dipper slowly hugged his sister and she softly stroked his hair, something she knew made him feel better when he was sad ever since he was a baby.

"I just wanted to find a monster and be able to prove it existed for once." Dipper said dejectedly, his voice muffled since he was pressed against his sister.

"I know you did, Dipper." Evelyn said. "But maybe you weren't meant to find this one."

She pulled away from Dipper, but kept a grip on his shoulders as he looked at her. "But Dipper, this is Gravity Falls, undoubtedly one of the strangest places in the world. You're guaranteed to find something else before the summer's over."

Dipper nodded at his sister's logic, feeling slightly better. "Thanks, Evie."

"No prob, bro-bro." Evelyn said, winking.

 **-DaLD-**

 **Hey guys! Hope you liked this chapter! I'm trying to update at least twice a week, but please don't be too angry if it's not always updated on time. I have exams this week, so I'm trying to balance work and writing. But don't worry, it's not too hard to do!**

 **I would love it if you guys would follow, favourite, or review this story! I hope the rest of your day goes great! No flames, please. –Aria**

 **(I don't own Gravity Falls)**


	7. Chapter VI: Legend of the Gobblewonker 3

A little while later, Dipper was wallowing in his own self-pity on an elevated rock in the water. Soos was snapping photos of a beaver that was posing on a log, and Evelyn was braiding Mabel's hair to pass the time.

"What are we going to say to Grunkle Stan?" Dipper asked, finally allowing the guilt to seep through his thick skull. "We ditched him over nothing."

He threw a stone into the lake and sighed. Suddenly, the rock Dipper was sitting on began shaking. "Hey… guys, do you feel that?"

The rock Dipper was on suddenly sank, causing Dipper to fall into the lake. Evelyn snapped up from her spot behind Mabel and ran over to check on her brother, who was sputtering. Dipper quickly scrambled out of the water, crying, "Hey, hey, whoa, whoa!"

They all turned to see the silhouette of something monstrously huge and slightly serpentine swimming away from the island.

Mabel screamed at the sight.

"This is it!" Dipper quickly took a picture of the Gobblewonker as it swam. "Come on! This is our chance!"

Soos and Mabel backed up, and Evelyn tensed beside Dipper as the Gobblewonker headed towards them. Dipper, who now had his back turned to the oncoming danger and was oblivious, looked at his companions, wondering why none of them had tried to take a picture.

"What's wrong with you guys?"

By now, the Gobblewonker had turned back towards them and was rising out of the water as it approached.

"Dipper…?" Mabel asked, terrified.

"Dude…?" Soos tried to get his attention.

"Dipper." Evelyn said urgently, not daring to raise her voice in case it made the Gobblewonker lash out.

Dipper didn't understand what was making them act out, especially his normally level-headed older sister, and tried to bring them back on track. "It's not that hard, alright? All you gotta do is point, and shoot. Like this!"

Dipper turned his camera back to the Gobblewonker, who had now fully risen from the lake and was right behind them.

Dipper looked through his camera only to see that the Gobblewonker was _right_ , there, and froze.

The Gobblewonker roared, causing Dipper to drop his camera in shock and Soos and Mabel to run away. Dipper, however, was temporarily frozen in fear. Seeing this, Evelyn grabbed his hand and full out sprinted after the others, trying to outrun the monster.

"Run!" Soos yelled unnecessarily as he ran.

Evelyn gave Soos a 'no-duh?' look as they ran through the forest, hoping to lose the monster long enough to get back to the boat.

The Gobblewonker, however, seemed quite comfortable on land as it did in water, and it gave chase, trees crashing down as it went.

One tree fell, landing near the Pines siblings. Evelyn quickly tackled her younger siblings to get out of the way of the falling tree, the three hopping back up and running right after.

They dodged the snapping jaws of the Gobblewonker and the falling trees until they finally caught up with Soos, who was surprisingly fast.

"Get back to the boat! HURRY!" Soos yelled.

The Gobblewonker lunged, attempting to get to Mabel.

Evelyn grabbed her sister's arm and hoisted her up onto Evelyn's back to avoid getting eaten. Mabel clung to her sister's back, and looked behind them at the monster that was approaching.

Dipper tried to take a photo of the creature while running, but tripped on a root and dropped the camera.

"The picture!" He cried, trying to turn back to retrieve the camera.

"DIPPER!" Evelyn screamed.

Luckily, Soos grabbed him by the back of the shirt and continued running.

As he ran, Soos tried to comfort Dipper. "Dude, if it makes you feel any better, I got tons of pictures of those beavers, dude!"

"WHY WOULD THAT MAKE ME FEEL BETTER?!" Dipper cried, annoyed.

They finally made it back to the boat, breaking away from the tree line. They all got on; Soos climbing in after he'd helped everyone into the boat. Their combined weight pushed the boat back into the water, and Soos quickly took the helm.

"Let's get outta here, dudes!" Soos cried as he drove backwards away from the island.

"All right! This is it!" Dipper said as they got a safe distance away from the beast.

He tried to take a picture with his camera, when he realised that it wasn't working. " _Cracked lense?_! Soos, Evie, get a picture!"

"No can do!" yelled Evelyn as she and Soos chucked cameras at the monster.

Dipper yelled "What are you doing?!" as Evelyn threw one expertly into the creature's eye, causing it to roar in rage and pain.

"We're trying to keep the monster back, because, you know, we're not any safer on a boat in the water since it's A LAKE MONSTER!" Evelyn yelled, panic taking a hold of her.

Soos stopped himself from throwing the lost camera. "Oh! I still got one left! Don't worry dude!"

He tossed t to Dipper and it shattered as it hit the corner in front of him. Dipper was horrified.

"If it's any consolation all the cameras I threw were already cracked from dodging those trees." Evelyn said as Soos headed back to the wheel and booked it back to the middle of the lake, which was still full of townspeople. The Gobblewonker slid under the surface of the water to reach them easily.

"Go, go, go, go, go!" Dipper yelled, watching the lake monsters progress.

They zoomed between two boats, trying to shake off the Gobblewonker. Looking behind them, Evelyn realised that one of the boats had been Stan's. From what she could tell as they sped by, he was now sopping wet from a wave they'd splashed him with. She only had a moment to feel guilty before a scream coming from her little brother brought her back to the task at hand.

"SOOS! BEAVERS!"

Evelyn turned to see that Soos was on a path towards hitting the beaver dam. She screamed with the others as they smashed through it, sending beavers flying through the air.

"Ah, beavers! Oh no!" Soos cried as beavers began falling down onto them from above.

One bit into Dipper's hat, and another landed on Mabel's arm. Two landed on Evelyn, one biting her around the waist, tearing a whole in one of her favourite grey shirt. Another one landed on her back, biting on her shoulder blades, its tail smacking against the top of her jean shorts. She cried out, trying to wrestle them off her.

Soos managed to get one on his face, impairing him from driving. As he ran from the wheel, Mabel took over, seeing that her sister was attempting to get the beaver off her back (having succeeded in getting the other beaver off of her front) and her brother occupied with getting the other beavers off the boat.

Dipper managed to make his way over to his older sister, though Mabel's driving didn't keep him very stable, and he helped her get the beaver off of her.

"Thanks." She sighed in relief. "I hate how I was right about the clothes thing in monster movies."

Dipper and Evelyn threw beavers at the Gobblewonker as Soos still battled his beaver.

Mabel took a sharp turn into a crowd of fishers, hoping that they'd gain some distance. The Gobblewonker, however, swam full pace underwater, overturning all the boats in its path.

Evelyn faintly thought she heard Manly Dan's voice yelling about how the 'fishes were seeking revenge!' She decided she must have imagined it, since that was an incredibly strange thing to say, even for Manly Dan.

She was started from her musings by the Gobblewonker, who swiped at their boat and managed to knock off the control cabin.

Mabel screamed, "Ah! Look out!" as she drove into a plane of glass that was being carried across the lake.

"My glass!" the man yelled.

"Who carries glass across a lake like that?!" Evelyn yelled back at the men.

Mabel turned around a corner only to realise she was leading them into a dead end.

"WHERE DO I GO?!" Mabel cried.

Dipper took out the Journal and hurriedly flipped through the pages. "Uh…uh," Evelyn pointed to something on one of the pages. "GO INTO THE FALLS! I think there might be a cave behind there!" Dipper pointed at the Falls ahead of them.

"MIGHT BE?!" Mabel shrieked.

Mabel continued, driving into the Falls. Everybody screamed, expecting to crash into the rocks and be drowned by the Falls into a cave. The S.S. Cool Dude crashed into the shore line, sending them flying into the dirt.

They all stood up and turned to see the Gobblewonker heading their way and screamed. The monster, however, got its body stuck in the cave entrance, trapping it and rendering it basically harmless.

"It's stuck!" Mabel exclaimed, relieved and shocked.

"Ha ha! Yeah!" Dipper cheered, relieved as well, until his mind caught up with her words. "Wait… it's stuck?"

Dipper desperately searched for a camera on his person, getting more and more panicked as he came up empty. Then Evelyn, with an amused smile, lifted his hat and Mabel picked up the camera that was on top of his head.

"Boop." Mabel said as she handed it out to her brother.

Dipper started taking a bunch of pictures, practically dancing in his happiness.

"Didja get a good one?" Mabel asked, excited.

"THEY'RE ALL GOOD ONES!" Dipper cheered, hugging both his sisters.

"WOO! HAMSTER BALL!" Mabel yelled.

Evelyn laughed, their excitement contagious.

The Gobblewonker roared, until a rock fell from the ceiling and got hit in the head. The head fell back down, making strangely electrical sounds while sparks flew from it.

The siblings paused their victorious celebration, Evelyn and Dipper becoming suspicious.

"What the…?" Dipper and Evelyn said in unison.

Dipper approached the Gobblewonker, feeling its side. "Huh?"

"What's wrong?" Mabel asked.

Dipper knocked on the side of the Gobblewonker, a hollow sound coming from where he knocked. Curious, Dipper climbed up the side of the monster.

"Careful, Dude!" Soos called as the sister's shared looks of worry.

"I've got this! Hold on!" Dipper called back.

He climbed over the Gobblewonker until he was out of sight. After a few seconds of anxiously waiting for her brother to pop up, Evelyn breathed a sigh of relief when Dipper popped up from the other side of the metal monster.

"Hey guys! Come check this out!" Dipper called.

The others carefully climbed until they were with Dipper, who was pointing to a handle on the topside of the Gobblewonker. They carefully turned it, steam leaking out of the cracks, and when it was opened, steam came billowing out of it.

Inside what looked like a control room was, to their surprise, Old Man McGucket. He hadn't noticed them yet and was fiddling with the controls.

"Work the bellows and the… Eh?" He finally noticed them staring at him. "Aww, banjo polish!"

Dipper was shocked. "Wha- Yo-You? You made this? W-w-why?"

McGucket looked down in shame. "Well, I… I, uh… I just wanted attention."

"I still don't understand." said Evelyn, looking at McGucket oddly.

"Well, first I just hootenannied up a biomechanical brain wave generator, and then I learned to operate a stick-shift with my beard!" he explained, demonstrating his beard-talent.

"Okay, yeah. But _why_ did you do it?" Mabel asked, nobody having understood his technical explanation.

McGucket looked down sadly. "Well, when you get to be an old fella like me, nobody pays any attention to you anymore. My own son hasn't visited me in months!"

Evelyn began to feel to feel sympathy for the crazy old man standing despondently in front of them, but then he continued talking. "So I figured maybe I'd catch his fancy with a fifteen-ton aquatic robut!"

He laughed like a maniac, making the sympathy Evelyn had been feeling dissipate fairly quickly.

McGucket sighed. "In retrospect, it seems a bit contrived. You just don't know the length us old-timers go through for a little quality time with our family."

The siblings all pulled out their handmade fishing hats at his words and sighed, feeling incredibly guilty.

"Dude, I guess the real monster is you three." They turned to look at Soos. "Heh, heh! Sorry, that just like boom- just popped into my head there."

"So, did you ever talk to your son about how you felt?" Mabel asked.

"No, sir, I got to work straight on the robut!" McGucket pulled out a projector, showing images on each slide. "I made a lot of robuts in my day! Like when my wife left me and I created a homicidal pterodactyl-tron, or when my pal Ernie didn't come to my retirement party and I constructed an eighty ton SHAME BOT THAT EXPLODED THE ENTIRE DOWNTOWN AREA!" he laughed maniacally.

He calmed down. "Well, time to get back to work on my death ray!"

McGucket ducked back into the machine, leaving the other four in shock at his revelations. As the sounds of construction began, McGucket raised one hand up to the others and made a grabbing motion.

"Any of you kids got a screwdriver?"

Ignoring McGucket's question, Dipper took out his camera. "Well, so much for the photo contest." He sighed.

"You still have one roll of film left." Evelyn pointed out.

"Yeah!" Mabel said.

"Whaddya wanna do with it?" He looked at his siblings questioningly.

They all exchanged a look, knowing what they wanted to use it on.

"I think I have an idea." Said Mabel, smiling slightly.

-DaLD-

Stan was leading his boat to shore, looking defeated.

"Hey! Over here!" Dipper called as the beaten up and falling apart S.S. Cool Dude pulled up beside Stan, both boats stopping.

Dipper took a picture of Stan, the flash surprising him.

"What the- Kids?" Stan's surprise turned into annoyance. "I thought you three were off playing 'spin the bottle' with Soos!"

"Well, we spent all day trying to find a 'legendary' dinosaur." Dipper started.

"But we realised, the only dinosaur we wanna hang out with is right here." Mabel finished.

"Save your sympathy: I've been having a great time without ya! Making friends, talking to my reflection- I had a run-in with the lake police! Guess I gotta wear this ankle bracelet now, so that'll be fun." He pointed to a beeping ankle bracelet.

"Oh, Grunkle Sta-" Evelyn cut herself off before she ranted, knowing it wouldn't help. She then looked at him remorsefully once more. "So… I guess there isn't room on that boat for four more?" she asked.

Seeing Stan glare at them, the three siblings put on their fishing hats, smiling hopefully.

Stan's expression softened and he looked away for a moment. "You knuckleheads ever seen me thread a hook with my eyes closed?"

"Five bucks says you can't do it!" Dipper bet.

"You're on!" Stan said as Dipper climbed into the Stan-o-war.

"Five more bucks says you can't do it with your eyes closed, _plus_ me singing at the top of my lungs!" Mabel exclaimed.

"I like those odds!" Stan agreed as Mabel climbed into the boat as well.

"Well, five _more_ bucks says you can't do it with your eyes closed and Mabel singing, _plus_ me poking you non-stop!" Evelyn bet, smirking.

Stan gave her an answering smirk as she and Soos climbed into the boat. "You drive a hard bargain kid, but I'll take you on!"

He ruffled Evelyn's hair through the hat, making her laugh.

Stan turned to Soos and did a double take. "Whoa! What happened to your shirt?"

"Long story, dude." Soos replied and Stan dropped the topic.

Dipper held up his camera. "All right, everybody get together. Say fishing!"

Evelyn sat with Mabel in front of her and Stan sitting by her side.

"Fishing!" They said as Soos' stomach came into the frame as he joined the photo.

"Dude, am I in the frame?" he asked as Dipper took the photo.

-DaLD-

They took loads of pictures. There was a picture of Mabel covering Stan's eyes as he peeked while trying to thread a hook, Evelyn poking him at the same time. There was one of Stan reading from the joke book; Mabel and Soos were laughing as Evelyn cringed and Dipper tried to ignore them. One of Evelyn making theatrical gestures, a broad smile on her face as her eyes shined; another of Stan posing with his hand in his vest. One of Stan, Mabel and Evelyn stealing fish from a little girl and her grandfather, impish grins on their faces; and one of the Pines family driving away from the lake police, panic on their faces.

All in all, the family bonding day had been a success.

-DaLD-

They were heading back to shore slowly as they just relaxed on the bot, enjoying the sunset, when the boat suddenly shook, startling them.

"Whoa!" Mabel and Evelyn yelped.

"What was that?" Dipper questioned.

Mabel shrugged. Evelyn peered over the edge of the boat and thought she saw a huge silhouette, but shrugged it off, sure that she'd just imagined it.

Once they landed on shore and tied up the boat, Soos and the Pines went their separate ways.

"Sorry about your boat!" Evelyn called as they headed off.

"No worries, dude. It was for a good cause!" Soos reassured as he headed to his truck, and left.

As the Pines family made their way to Stan's car, Evelyn paused when she saw the lake ranger cleaning up some of the garbage left from the day. An idea popped into her head, and Evelyn broke off from the others to jog over to the ranger.

The ranger looked up as she stopped in front of him, his expression stoic. Evelyn saw his nametag, which read: 'Tate McGucket'.

Taking a deep breath, she began. "Excuse me, Mr. McGucket, may I speak with you for a second?"

When he nodded and got up, she continued. "I don't mean to be rude, sir, but maybe you should try to be a little nicer to your father. He loves you, crazy or not."

Mr. McGucket seemed to be slightly shocked at her words, which meant that her work there was done.

"Thank you for listening, sir." She nodded her head and began walking back. "Have a good night."

"What was _that_ about?" Stan asked when Evelyn reached them.

"Nothing, really." she shrugged.

Stan looked at her suspiciously, before glancing back at the shell-shocked lake ranger. After a moment of thought, he shrugged, deciding to let it go.

With that, they all climbed into the car and went home.

-DaLD-

Evelyn was reading a book in her bed, wearing her usual tank top and patterned shorts as pajamas. She looked up when she felt the twin's jump onto her bed.

"What'cha reading?" Mabel asked.

"The Phantom of the Opera." Evelyn replied.

Mabel crawled over to read it, snuggling into her side.

"Hey Evie?" asked Dipper, who was sitting on the bed by her waist.

"Yeah?" she asked, looking up.

"When you were talking to McGucket's son… what were you saying?" Dipper asked, curious.

Evelyn smiled. "Just that he should give his dad another chance."

"I had a feeling that you were going to do that." Dipper remarked knowingly.

"Well, you know me well enough I guess." Evelyn cheekily replied.

Mabel caught their attention by 'oohing' at something that had happened in the book.

Evelyn checked the time before telling the twins, "All right you two, it's getting late. We need to sleep while we can, otherwise Grunkle Stan will have to wake us up again."

They all shuddered, remembering how cruel Stan could be when it came to finding ways to wake them up.

"Okay then, bedtime!" Dipper all but ran to his bed, as did Mabel.

Evelyn put her book down before turning off the light, leaving them in darkness.

"Goodnight, you two!" she called.

"Goodnight!" they chorused.

With that, Evelyn turned onto her side and closed her eyes, falling asleep.

-DaLD-

Someone was waiting in the dark. He waited for her to fall asleep, so that he could talk to her again. He needed to talk to her, to get to know her.

They were connected after all.

He felt his little bird enter the Mindscape he'd created just for them and laughed. She needed to fight harder to find him, because he wasn't able to really get to her just yet.

But he was getting stronger; he was going to be able to communicate soon. And when that happened, she wouldn't be able to get rid of him. He _**would**_ have his little bird.

Because what Bill Cipher wants, he gets.

-DaLD-

In her bed, Evelyn tossed and turned, her dreams making her sleep fitful.

And around her neck, her necklace glowed brightly.

 **-DaLD-**

 **Hey guys! Hope you enjoyed this chapter! It took forever to type up. I'm incredibly excited for the moment I get to write about Bill, so he's going to show up really soon!**

 **I write all my stories by hand first, so I'm several episodes ahead of this one, and I like where it's going, but I don't know what I want to do for some of the episodes. For the episode, The Time Traveler's Pig, what would you like Evelyn to do? Follow them through the time traveling stuff and possibly lose something in the process? Or something else? Please PM me or review to tell me what you'd like to see!**

 **I hope you guys have a wonderful day! Please follow, favourite, and/or review this story, and no flames, please! –Aria**

 **(I don't own Gravity Falls, or PotO.)**


	8. Chapter VII: Headhunters (part 1)

Evelyn lay in bed, unable to sleep. It was six in the morning, a few days after their fishing fiasco, and she was waiting for the twins to wake up before one too could actually get up. She stared at the attic ceiling as she thought back at her dreams.

For the past few days, she'd been having fairly repetitive dreams. She'd always be in the foggy forest, looking for someone, and she'd always hear that same voice call to her.

" _Little Bird."_ he'd called her, though she never saw who it was.

Sometimes he would say different things, but he always said that she was his before she'd wake up. But this time, it had been different. The light had been closer, his voice had been louder, and he'd ended it differently than he usually did.

" _Goodbye, Little Bird!"_ he'd called. " _I'll see you_ _ **very**_ _soon. But until then, I'll be watching you!"_

She felt unsettled by that, as though a part of her subconscious understood what he meant by that and was telling her it didn't bode well.

She clutched her necklace in search of comfort. She'd worn it nonstop since she'd gotten it, feeling off whenever she wasn't wearing it, almost like a piece of her was missing without it.

' _ **Well, obviously,**_ ' a voice said in her head, ' _ **it's your link to me.**_ '

Evelyn froze. The voice in her mind didn't sound like her own. She hadn't _thought_ that. It had sounded like…

' _ **Yep! It's me! The man of your dreams. Surprise, Little Bird!**_ ' the voice exclaimed.

She screamed, falling of her bed.

' _ **Woah, calm down! You don't want to scare your siblings, do you?**_ ' the voice asked.

Sure enough, the ruckus she'd caused had woken her siblings.

"Evelyn?" Dipper yawned. "Are you alright?"

In her own bed, Mabel was rubbing her eyes, roused by the sounds of her sister's distress.

"I-I'm… fine." Evelyn stuttered.

' _ **No, you're not.**_ ' The voice chided. ' _ **You're terrified. Not that you should be, I don't plan on hurting you.**_ '

'I'm going crazy.' Evelyn thought. 'All those monster hunts have done their damage.'

' _ **You're not going crazy. I've just finally managed to enter your mind while you're awake. Though I'm not really**_ _ **in**_ _ **your head…**_ ' the voice trailed off, his tone always sounding amused.

' _ **I'm just going to be your thought buddy, your conscience, if you will,**_ ' the voice continued, ' _ **until I'm strong enough for us to actually see each other.**_ '

She felt panicked. This voice would be in her head, all the time, watching _everything_ she did.

' _ **Relax, I won't be here all the time, don't have the energy for it yet.**_ ' He sounded annoyed by that fact. ' _ **I'll give you privacy when you need it. Besides, I already told you;**_ _ **I'll be watching you.**_ _ **I meant it.**_ '

Evelyn was pulled from her 'mind conversation' by Dipper, who was shaking her shoulder and looking at her in concern.

' _ **I'll let you be for now, Little Bird.**_ ' The voice said. ' _ **I can't stay much longer. Remember, I'll be watching…**_ '

His voice faded from her head, leaving her freaked out and incredibly confused.

"Evelyn? Are you okay?" Dipper sounded seriously concerned by her silence and was on the verge of panicking.

"I-I'm okay." Evelyn stuttered.

"No, you're not." Mabel remarked. "You haven't been sleeping well. So what's up, sis?"

They all sat down on her bed, the twins on either side of their sister.

"Well…" Evelyn bit her lip. "Recently I've been having these really strange dreams. I'm always in a foggy, grey version of the forest outside of the Shack and I'm looking for someone…"

"Maybe you're looking for us!" Mabel exclaimed brightly.

"No," Evelyn smiled at her sister's guess before growing pensive. "For some reason, I know it's not my family. I just know that someone's waiting for me and I really, _really_ need to find him."

Dipper frowned as she continued.

"Anyway, normally a voice would call out to me, calling me 'Little Bird' and telling me to come find him. And whenever I'm about to wake up, the voice tells me to remember that I'm _his_."

Dipper looked disturbed, while Mabel was torn between finding it concerning or finding the whole dream romantic and mysterious.

"And then today…" Evelyn paused.

"What?" Dipper asked.

For some reason, Evelyn didn't want to tell the twins about how she'd heard the same voice just talking to her in her head while she was _awake_. 'I don't want them to think that I'm going crazy.' She decided.

So Evelyn took a breath. "Well, the dream started off the same, but just before I woke up, the voice said something different."

"What did it say?" Dipper asked, hanging onto every word.

"He said… that he'd be coming soon." Evelyn paused again. "He said, ' _I'll be watching you._ "

Mabel squealed at how mysterious and horror movie-esque it all was, but Dipper was taking her words seriously.

"I remember reading stuff about dreams in the Journal. Maybe there's something causing this. I'll look to see if there's anything." Dipper said, determined.

"Thanks, Dipper." Though Evelyn herself had read a lot of the Journal, there _were_ some pages she hadn't looked at. Something _had_ to be in those pages, something to explain the dreams and the voice in her head.

"And I'll help too!" said Mabel, glomping her sister.

Evelyn laughed. "Thanks, Mabel."

"Just out of curiosity…" Mabel dragged out, "Did the voice sound attractive?"

Evelyn's eyes widened and Dipper sputtered, not having expected that.

Evelyn recovered quickly. "Come close and I'll tell you…" Evelyn gestured for Mabel to approach her.

The girl eagerly leaned into her sister, wanting to find out. Once she was close enough, Evelyn grabbed her pillow and lightly whacked Mabel, causing the girl to fall over and Dipper to laugh at his twin's expense. In moments, the siblings had begun an all-out, epic pillow fight.

And Evelyn never had to admit that a part of her _didn't_ find the voce unappealing.

-DaLD-

After eating breakfast and getting changed, Evelyn and the twins were in the living room, sitting on the floor and watching 'Ducktective'. Dipper was eating popcorn while Mabel knit a sweater for her sister, taking occasional measurements from Evelyn, who was sitting beside her.

Mabel was taking inspiration from Evelyn's dream nickname, 'Little Bird', and decided to make a grey sweater with a little blue bird in the center of it. Evelyn had been amused by her sister's suggestion, and would occasionally stare at the work in progress with humor in her eyes.

Evelyn had plenty of Mabel's knit sweaters, since Mabel couldn't go on too long without making one. Her favourite was one with a book on it and the words 'Go away, I'm reading' stitched into it, made by Mabel a year ago for her birthday.

Evelyn watched as Mabel tried to take some of the popcorn from Dipper, who slapped her hand away. Evelyn then reached out for some popcorn, Dipper half-heartedly trying to slap her hand away. He missed, since she saw it coming and grinned as she took a victorious bite of her popcorn.

"Aww! Come on! Why does Evie get some but not me?" Mabel complained.

"Evie is faster than you, and she'd probably take _all_ of my popcorn if I fight her for it." Dipper explained, exasperated.

"Sometimes, it is better to be feared than loved." Evelyn proclaimed dramatically, making her siblings give her odd looks. She split her handful of popcorn in half and gave some to Mabel, who beamed.

"Thanks sis! You're the best!"

They turned back to the TV to watch Duck-tective claim the 'accident' was a murder. Once commercials came on, Mabel gasped in awe and dropped her sweater-in-progress, cupping her cheeks.

"That duck is a genius!" she whispered, awestruck.

Dipper wasn't as easily impressed. "Eh, it's easier to find clues when you're that close to the ground."

Mabel put her hands on her hips and turned to her brother in disbelief. "Are you saying you could outwit Duck-tective?"

"Mabel, I have very keen powers of observation. For example, just by smelling your breath, I can tell that you have been eating…" Dipper sniffed the air. "…an entire tube of toothpaste?"

Mabel turned away, remnants of the sparkly toothpaste on her face. "It was so sparkly…"

"Mabel…" Evelyn sighed, before looking at Dipper. "Well, my powers of observation are even keener than yours, little brother. Just by looking at your arm, I can tell that…" she observed her brother's arm. "You had Mabel's glue gun stuck to your arm."

Evelyn smirked in victory as Dipper rubbed his arm, remembering the struggle to get it off in the bathroom. "It hurt…"

Mabel was in awe of her sister's skills of deduction when Soos ran in, yelling. "Hey, dudes, you'll never guess what I found!"

"Buried treasure!" Evelyn and Dipper shouted together.

"Buried-" Mabel laughed and playfully pushed her siblings. "Hey, I was gonna say that!"

They got up and followed Soos to a door they'd never seen before.

"So, I was cleaning up when I found this secret door, hidden behind the wallpaper. Its crazy bonkers creepy!"

Soos carefully opened the door, which creaked ominously. They peered in as Dipper waved his flashlight around. "Whoa! It's a secret wax museum!"

The room was full of wax figures, all famous people, some fictional, some realistic. The wax gave Evelyn the creeps. She felt as though her and the others were in danger, though the only other things in the room were made of wax.

Mabel went over and poked a wax Sherlock Holmes. "They're so life-like." She marveled.

Dipper shined the flashlight on an unmoving Stan. "Except for that one."

The Stan figure suddenly spoke. "Hello!"

The other four screamed in surprise.

Stan chuckled, moving towards them. "It's just me, your Grunkle Stan!"

They only screamed louder and ran in every direction to escape.

-DaLD-

Once Stan managed to calm them down, he began explaining the wax room. "Behold the Gravity Falls Wax Museum! It was one of our most popular attractions… before I forgot all about it. I got 'em all! Genghis Khan, Sherlock Holmes," he paused at one statue, at a loss. "Some kind of, I don't know, goblin man?"

Evelyn snorted at his description of Larry King.

Dipper shuddered. "Is anyone else getting the creeps here?"

"Yeah. This place oozes creepy vibes." Evelyn agreed.

Stan ignored them. "And now for my personal favourite: Wax Abraham Lincoln, right over-" he stopped when he saw the melted wax statue, the window letting sunlight in. "Oh! Oh no! Come on, who left the blinds open? Wax John Wilkes Booth, I'm looking in your direction!"

Stan bent down beside the melted wax and dipped his finger in it, sighing. "How do you fix a wax figure?"

Mabel went up to Stan. "Cheer up, Grunkle Stan! Where's that smile?"

Stan just grunted in response.

"Beep, bop, boop!" Mabel said as she poked Stan's face repeatedly, trying to cheer him up.

Evelyn winced, knowing how much that could hurt.

"Ow." Stan groaned, proving Evelyn's point.

"Don't worry, Grunkle Stan." Mabel reassured. "I'll make you a new wax figure from all this old wax!"

Stan was doubtful. "You really think you can make one of these puppies?"

"Grunkle Stan," began Mabel sagely, "I'm an arts and crafts _master._ Why do you think I always have this glue gun stuck to my arm?"

Mabel showed her sweater sleeve to Stan, revealing a glue gun and some craft items that were glued to her sleeve. She grunted, trying to shake them off.

Once Mabel gave up, she added brightly, "Plus, I'll have Evelyn help me build it! She's great at sculpting!"

"Wait, what?" Evelyn asked, not having ever signed up to help Mabel with her endeavor. However, when she saw Mabel's puppy eyes, she caved. "I mean, yeah, sure I'll help."

"I like your gumption, kid!" Stan said, applauding Mabel on her ability to manipulate her sister.

"I don't know what that word means, but thank you!" Mabel exclaimed brightly at the compliment.

Evelyn sighed, knowing that the next few days would probably be exhausting.

-DaLD-

A little while later, Dipper was drinking a soda and heading towards his sisters, wanting to see their progress with the wax sculpture.

"Dipper!" Mabel exclaimed, jumping off her stool towards her brother, making him choke on his soda.

"You okay?" Evelyn asked once she reached her brother, rubbing his back.

Evelyn had been ordered by Mabel to wear a purple beret to match Mabel's. Evelyn had decided to wear one of her old, giant t-shirts to avoid ruining one of her good ones, and was wearing her usual short-shorts.

"What do you think of my wax figure idea? Evie doesn't agree with it, but I need another opinion!" Mabel asked Dipper. She showed him a sketch of a weird pony-princess hybrid.

"She's a fairy princess, and part _horse_ fairy princess!" she proclaimed.

"I personally wanted to do Bigfoot, but oh well. Mabel's the master." Evelyn sighed.

Dipper was hesitant to insult his twin's idea, since Mabel was at times hard to reason with. "M…maybe you should carve something from real life."

Mabel enthusiastically flipped to another sketch she made. "Like a waffle, with big arms!"

Dipper and Evelyn tried not to cringe at the idea.

"Y-okay… or, you know, something else. Like-like someone in your family." Dipper stuttered.

Stan came in, interrupting Dipper's attempt at reasoning with Mabel.

"Kids, have you seen my pants?" he asked, almost posing on top of a suitcase in his search for his lost pants.

"Yeah, I took them out of the wash a while ago." Evelyn said as Mabel turned away from the group, her eyes wide as an epiphany struck.

Stan walked up to Evelyn and ruffled her hair. "I knew I could count on you, kiddo."

Their gazes were drawn to Mabel as she spoke. "Oh, muse. You work in mysterious ways." She said as she stared at the ceiling, euphoric.

Stan turned to the other two, slightly concerned. "Why's your sister talking to the ceiling?"

They shrugged, weirded out.

-DaLD-

Mabel and Evelyn worked hard hours on the wax sculpture. They'd cut at the wax block and carved out the frame, though Evelyn handled the sharp objects more in an attempt to keep her sister form holding anything dangerous. The rest of the shaping and colouring was done by Mabel.

Finally, they'd finished the last coat and were admiring their handiwork with Soos and Dipper.

Mabel paused, analysing her masterpiece. "I think… it needs more glitter."

"One can never have too much glitter." Evelyn agreed, joking.

"Agreed." Soos handed Mabel a bucket of glitter.

She flung the glitter carelessly over the statue, successfully bedazzling it.

At that moment, Stan walked in, mercifully with his pants on. "Well, I found my pants, though they were hard to find," Stan glared lightly at Evelyn, "but now I'm missing my-"

Stan stopped when he saw the wax statue and fell over backwards, screaming.

Mabel and Evelyn leaned over him questioningly.

"What do you think?" Mabel asked.

"We put a lot of effort into it." Evelyn added.

"I think…" Stan started, before lighting up. "The Wax Museum's back in business!"

 **-DaLD-**

 **Hey guys! Hope this chapter wasn't a bust. I've been waiting impatiently for this episode, since there will be some important plot points showing up, like the voice. I hope you all have figured out who it is, by the way.**

 **If you have any questions involving where I'm taking the story, please feel free to PM me or review. The next chapter will be coming out soon. So please follow, favourite and/or review! And shout out to everyone that already has! I love you guys!**

 **No flames, please and thank you, and please excuse any grammar mistakes. –Aria**

 **P.S. If I owned Gravity Falls, season 3 would be coming out soon.**


	9. Chapter VIII: Headhunters (part 2)

It only took a day to set up everything for the new Wax Museum's opening ceremony, including the siblings putting up advertisements in downtown Gravity Falls. Surprisingly, the turnout for the event was pretty good.

'Did Grunkle Stan bribe 'em or something?' Evelyn wondered.

She, Mabel and Grunkle Stan were on the stage with all the wax figures, including Mabel's Masterpiece, which was covered in a blanket to hide it from the audience.

Evelyn had offered to help Wendy, who was quickly becoming her first teenager friend in Gravity Falls, sell the tickets for the event. But, it turned out that Stan wanted to show off the 'artists of the masterpiece.'

Once the crowd had settled into their seats and were waiting for it to begin, Stan stepped up to the podium, leaning towards the microphone. The mike gave feedback, causing the audience to flinch away from the shrill sound.

Stan cleared his throat and began. "You all know me, folks! Town darling, 'Mr. Mystery'. Please, ladies, control yourselves!"

Evelyn looked at three of the women from the audience, who were staring blankly ahead of themselves, flies swarming around them, and shuddered, mildly disgusted.

Stan continued. "As you know, I always bring the people of this fair town novelties and befuddlements, the likes of which the world has never known. But enough about me. Behold… me!"

Stan pulled off the cover on the statue, revealing a wax version of Stan himself. Soos, who had a keyboard, added fanfare noises and an annoying 'ye-ah!' sound.

In the audience, only two people clapped, with someone coughing awkwardly at the same time.

'Somehow, I'm not surprised by their enthusiasm.' Evelyn thought to herself.

"And now a word from our own Mabelangelo and Eviecasso!" Stan exclaimed, gesturing to his two nieces as they moved forward on the stage.

"It's Mabel." said Mabel as she took the microphone.

"I'm cool with Eviecasso." Evelyn nudged her uncle as she passed him, smirking slightly.

Mabel raised the microphone and began to address the audience. "Thank you for coming! We made this sculpture with our own hands!" Evelyn stood encouragingly beside her sister as Mabel continued. "And it's covered in my blood, sweat, tears, and other fluids!"

The audience made noises of disgust as even Evelyn wrinkled her nose in distaste at the information Mabel was sharing.

Evelyn quickly took the microphone and attempted to save the speech. "Um… that was a joke." She looked around awkwardly. "And… We will now take questions!" she exclaimed.

Mcgucket raised his hand and Evelyn took the opportunity he offered with relief. "You there, sir!"

McGucket stood up and spoke formally. "Old Man McGucket, local kook. Are the wax figures alive? And follow up question, can I survive the wax-man uprising?"

While he was talking, Evelyn was distracted by a man who was picking up what looked like a shoe, before running off and disappearing.

'Was that… Dipper's shoe?' Evelyn wondered, confused.

She snapped out of it, remembering McGucket's question. After sharing a 'he's crazy' look with her sister, Evelyn replied brightly, "Uh… yes!"

Evelyn quickly moved on to a middle aged woman with plain brown hair and a pale pink blouse who raised her hand hesitantly. "Yes, miss?"

"Um…" the woman looked down for a moment awkwardly, not able to make eye contact with Evelyn. "Is that your real eye colour?"

Evelyn sighed, used to it. "Unrelated to this event, but yes miss, it is."

Some people in the audience murmured in surprise at her response, making Evelyn frown lightly, though she quickly shook it off. Stan glared at the woman, making her flinch.

Ignoring her sister's sympathetic gaze, Evelyn moved on to Toby Determined, the local journalist. She indicated that he could speak.

"Toby Determined, Gravity Falls Gossiper." He introduced. "Do you really think this constitutes a wonder of the world?"

Evelyn eyed him strangely and leaned towards Stan.

"Is that… a turkey baster?" she whispered to him.

"Yeah." Grunkle Stan leaned into the microphone and rudely said, "Your microphone's a turkey baster, Toby."

"It certainly is." Toby wilted.

Stan continued the questioning for Evelyn. "Next question." He pointed to a news reporter who was sitting in the back.

She stood up as she started. "Shandra Jimenez, a _real_ reporter. Your flyers promised free pizza with admission to the event. Is this true?"

Evelyn stared at Shandra curiously as the audience got riled up, wanting their free pizza. 'Why would a reporter focus on _pizza_?' Evelyn wondered.

Stan started to sweat profusely. "That was a typo. Good night, everyone!"

And with that, he unleashed a smoke bomb, using it as a cover to get to the cash box before they could demand refunds. Evelyn watched with an unimpressed look on her face.

"Oh, sure, leave your nieces to deal with the angry mob." She said sarcastically.

The audience left furiously, tossing chairs and (in Manly Dan's case) punching poles.

Mabel and Evelyn walked back to Dipper and Wendy. Mabel leaned on the table calmly and said. "That went well."

Evelyn and the others gave her a dumbfounded look.

-DaLD-

Later that night, Stan and the siblings were in the living room, where Stan was counting the money he got.

"Hot pumpkin pie! Look at all this cash! And I owe it all to one person, this guy!" Stan exclaimed.

Mabel gave him a playfully miffed look while Evelyn raised her eyebrow, wondering if he'd forgotten that she had helped.

Mabel and Evelyn shared a look, before punching Stan on each arm.

"Ooh!" Stan grabbed them both and noogied them, ignoring their protests. "Yeah, you two too, ya little gremlins. Now you kids wash up. We got another long day of fleecing rubes tomorrow. Go, go!"

He pushed them out of the room as they grumbled and complained, before turning to Wax Stan.

Stan sighed, wrapping his arm around Wax Stan in camaraderie. "Kids."

-DaLD-

Once they were upstairs, the siblings took turns getting changed. As Evelyn changed into her white tank top and her short, patterned shorts, she thought back to the voice that had been in her dreams and in her head. Was she losing it? Was reality blending with her dreams? She knew she couldn't talk to _anyone_ about it without seeming crazy.

She bit her lip, deep in thought. However, she was broken from her troubling pondering when Mabel and Dipper knocked on the door.

"Are you almost done? I wanna get changed!" Mabel complained.

Having finished changing, Evelyn steeled herself and opened the door to gaze at her siblings that waited in front of it. 'No, I can't go crazy.' She thought to herself. 'I need to stay strong and be there for them.'

After sufficiently convincing herself that the voice had been a one-time thing, she decided to ignore it as the three of them went to go brush their teeth.

While they were brushing, Mabel asked, "Dipper, Evie, you wanna do a toothbrush race?"

"Sure." Evelyn responded, her toothbrush still in her mouth.

"Okay." Dipper said, muffled by the toothbrush and toothpaste.

They were stopped by Stan's screams downstairs. _"No…No…Nooooo!"_

They ran down the stairs, worried about their Grunkle. When they arrived, they saw Stan in the entrance of the living room, pointing at something on the ground in horror.

"Wax Stan! He's been… m-murdered!" he exclaimed.

Mabel took one look at the decapitated statue and fainted and Dipper and Evelyn rushed to hold her up.

The two shared a look. 'Who would do this?' she thought.

-DaLD-

Stan had called the cops and was explaining the situation to Sheriff Blubs and Deputy Durland while Mabel kneeled by the statue and her siblings stood behind her supportively.

"Mine and Evie's expert handcrafting… besmirched." She began to wail. "Besmiiirrrched!"

Evelyn put her hand on her sister's shoulder and lightly squeezed it to comfort her sister as Dipper did the same on Mabel's other shoulder.

"Who would do something like this?" Dipper asked, concerned and confused.

Evelyn had been wondering about the same thing and had come to a possible conclusion. Perhaps whoever had chopped off Wax Stan's head had done it accidentally. She thought maybe they'd been going for the _real_ Stan, a thought that alarmed her greatly. Because if they'd been trying to kill the real Stan… then the situation was even more dangerous than they thought.

No one else had picked up on Evelyn's thoughts as Sheriff Blubs spoke to Stan. "Look, we'd love to help you folks, but let's face the facts… this case is unsolvable."

"WHAT?!" the Pines family yelled.

"You take that back, Sheriff Blubs!" Stan yelled, furious.

"You're kidding, right?" Evelyn asked.

"Yeah." Dipper agreed. "There must be evidence, motives. You know I- we- could help if you want." He pointed between himself and Evelyn.

"They're really good." Mabel agreed. "Dipper figured out who was eating our tin cans!"

"All the signs pointed to the goat." He pointed out.

"And Evie figured out how the goat and other woodland creatures kept on sneaking into the attic without us noticing!" Mabel continued proudly.

"It only took a bit of observation to figure it out." She said, looking down modestly.

"Yeah, yeah!" Stan agreed. "Let the boy and teen help. They've got a little brain up in their heads."

"Hey!" Evelyn exclaimed, affronted. " _Little?!_ "

"Oooh! Would you look at what we got here!" Blubs said patronizingly. "City kids think they're gonna solve a mystery with their fancy computer phones!"

"Computer phones?" Evelyn repeated skeptically, cocking her head to the side lightly.

Durland mock cheered. "City gurl! City booooy!"

"You are adorable!" Blubs said to them condescendingly.

"Adorable?" Dipper muttered, completely offended.

The officers laughed.

"Look, P.J.s, how about you leave the investigating to the grown-ups, okay?" Blubs continued.

They all were distracted by a message over the police walkie. _"Attention all units. Steve is about to fit an entire cantaloupe in his mouth. Repeat, an entire cantaloupe!"_

"It's a 23-16!" Durland yelled excitedly.

"Let's move!" exclaimed Blubs, before both police officers ran off laughing.

Evelyn face palmed. "How does anything get done in this town?"

"I don't know." sighed Stan.

Dipper had enough. "That's it! Mabel, Evie, we are going to find the jerk who did this, and get back that head. Then we'll see who's adorable."

His serious tone was ruined when he sneezed delicately, making his sisters coo at him.

"Aww, you sneeze like a kitten!" Mabel cooed, putting her hands on her cheeks.

"That is the cutest thing _ever_." Evelyn added, ruffling his hair.

Dipper glared at the both of them and swatted his older sister's hand away.

-DaLD-

The next morning found the siblings studying the crime scene. They'd already made a suspect list of sorts and were trying to find any incriminating evidence.

Evelyn had woken up that morning feeling odd. Though she hadn't had any dreams and had slept relatively well, she had a sense of foreboding, which didn't allow her to enjoy her voice-free sleep. She shook of her concerns to focus on the task at hand.

Dipper spoke as he stared at the scene of the crime. "Wax Stan has lost his head and it's up to us to find it."

Evelyn nodded as Mabel took crime scene photos beside her.

"There were a lot of unhappy customers at the unveiling." Dipper continued, staring at their suspect bulletin board.

"The murderer could be any one of them." Evelyn concluded, catching onto Dipper's train of thought.

"Gasp! Even us!" Mabel interrupted, surprised at the concept.

"It could also be something supernatural." Evelyn pointed out.

"Yeah. In this, town, anything is possible." Dipper said contemplatively. "Ghosts, zombies, it could be months before we find our first clue."

As if the universe intended to prove him wrong, Mabel called out a moment later, "Hey, look! A clue!"

The other two headed towards where Mabel was pointing. Sure enough, there were footprints in the carpet with a strange hole in them.

"Footprints in the shag carpet!" Dipper exclaimed.

"That's weird. They've got a hole in them." Mabel pointed out.

Evelyn quickly noticed that the footprints made a path and pointed them out to her siblings. "The footprints lead to…"

Evelyn followed prints to behind the sofa, the twins following behind her. At her feet, right where the trail ended lay an ax. Evelyn's eyes widened as she looked back at the twins, all of them sharing a look.

"Well, this wasn't expected." Evelyn muttered, her red eyes still wide.

-DaLD-

They decided to go to Soos to get his opinion on the possible murder weapon, a decision, Evelyn realised, that wasn't very fruitful.

As Soos inspected the ax, Dipper asked, "So, what do you think?"

"In my opinion, this is an ax." Soos said.

Evelyn fought the urge to face palm at his obvious response, but at the same time, it was such a Soos thing to say that she couldn't even act annoyed by it.

Mabel's eyes widened as she realised something. "Wait a minute. The lumberjack!"

The siblings' eyes widened at the revelation. "Of course!" Dipper cried.

"He was furious when he found out we weren't serving free pizza." Evelyn recalled, remembering the lumberjacks behaviour yesterday.

"Furious enough, for _murder!_ " Mabel exclaimed.

"Oh, you mean Manly Dan." They all snapped their heads in his towards Soos. He continued talking once he realized he had their attention. "Yeah, he hangs out at this crazy intense biker joint downtown."

"Then _that's_ where we're going." Dipper proclaimed confidently.

Soos gazed at their determined faces with something akin to awe. "Dude, this is awesome. You three are like: The Mystery Siblings."

Dipper looked disgruntled at the title. "Don't call us that."

"I don't know, I kind of like it. It has a nice ring to it." Evelyn smirked at her brother's glare.

As they walked outside, they found Stan trying to pull a coffin out of his trunk.

Once Stan spotted them, he called the three over. "Hey, give me a hand with this coffin, will ya? I'm doing a memorial for Wax Stan, Something small, but classy."

As he managed to get the coffin out of the trunk, Dipper spoke up. "Sorry Grunkle Stan, but we have a big break in the case!"

"Break in the case!" Mabel repeated enthusiastically.

"We're heading into town to interrogate the possible murderer in a bar." Evelyn added calmly.

Mabel took out the ax to show it to Stan. "We have an axe!" she made a chopping gesture while making horror movie sounds. "REE! REE! REE!"

Stan thought for a moment. "Hmm, it seems like the kind of thing that responsible parents wouldn't want you to do… Good thing I'm an uncle." Stan posed on top of the coffin, shaking his fist in the air. "Avenge me, kids! AVENGE MEEE!"

Evelyn quirked her brow at her uncle before the three of them headed into town.

 **-DaLD-**

 **Hey guys! I hope this chapter wasn't too short! I'm currently in the middle of exam period, so updating is a bit difficult at times, but I'll try to manage it. I also hope you enjoyed this, despite it being so short.**

 **I added that part with Evelyn being questioned by that lady about her eye colour to give you guys a bit of a preview to future events in chapters. It's meant to show that, due to her strange eye colour, she can at times be questioned or picked on. I decided that this would make it more realistic, seeing as red isn't normally an average eye colour on anyone.**

 **Though I know this chapter wasn't action packed, I** _ **am**_ **currently writing future episodes in my notebook and they look pretty great so far, so that will hopefully be coming up soon! I'll try to update once more this week. I was planning on updating two days ago, but I stepped on a rusty nail and had to get it checked, but all is well and updates will continue!**

 **And just so everyone knows, though will try to explain what she's wearing more often, her normal outfit is a t-shirt (varying in colour) and short shorts, with either running shoes or flats, depending on the adventure.**

 **Sorry for my long author's note! Hopefully the next update will be by Sunday, so stay tuned! Please favourite, follow and review if you haven't already! I'd really appreciate it! Please pardon any spelling mistakes! No flames, s'il vous plait.**

 **-Aria**

 **P.S. I don't own Gravity Falls!**


	10. Chapter IX: Headhunters (part 3)

The Pines siblings had managed to find the bar downtown and were currently coming up with a game plan. The bar was called the 'Skull Fracture', something that mildly alarmed Evelyn.

'The name just fills me up with warm, fuzzy feelings alright.' She thought sarcastically. 'This really wasn't our best idea.'

"This is the place." Dipper gasped when the security bouncer looked in their direction and ducked back into the alley they were hiding in. He turned to Mabel. "Got the fake IDs?"

Mabel handed her sister and brother their homemade IDs proudly. Just looking at them made Evelyn pale slightly. 'This will _never_ work.' She thought worriedly.

Dipper looked at his own ID, determined to go through with his plan. "Here goes nothing."

As they walked over to the bouncer, Evelyn asked. "Why didn't we just find out where Manly Dan lives and meet him there?"

The twins stopped at the obviousness of her proposal. Dipper slapped his forehead for not thinking of that sooner, before looking up at the bar. "Well, we've made it this far. Might as well go through with it." Dipper said as they continued walking.

"Besides, this is the fun alternative to _boring_ house visits!" Mabel exclaimed, pulling her sister's arm.

Once they reached the man, who Evelyn had decided to mentally call Tats, they held out their obviously fake IDs for him to inspect.

"We're here to interrogate Manly Dan the lumberjack for the murder of Wax Stan." Tats inspected their IDs as Mabel wiggled the googly-eyes. "Deedlededlele."

Tats moved back, letting them pass. "Works for me."

As he opened the door to the bar, Evelyn was staring at him, mouth open. 'How had it been _that_ easy?!' she yelled mentally. 'There's freaking glitter and macaroni on the IDs!'

Despite her thoughts, Evelyn quickly walked in with her siblings, only to almost stop once again. Testosterone was practically tangible in the Skull Fracture. Men were fighting, drinking and breaking things to the point that Evelyn had to hold back a sigh. 'I think that this proves that some of those stereotypes can be accurate.' She thought. 'Men _are_ idiots.'

They wandered farther into the bar, Mabel and Evelyn having to step over a body to reach Dipper.

"He's resting." Mabel said optimistically, staring at the unmoving body.

"Alright, let's just try to blend in, okay?" Dipper told the other two.

"You got it, Dippingsauce." replied Mabel, before jumping onto a stool and talking to the scary man beside her.

Though Evelyn was hesitant to leave her little sister alone, she decided that Dipper was currently in more danger, since he was going even further into the bar. She followed her little brother until a large hand clamped on her shoulder, effectively stopping her.

"An' where do ya think you're goin'?" a menacing voice asked from behind her.

She carefully turned around to face the 6'2'' monster of a man in front of her. His hair was greasy, he was missing a few teeth, and he was scarily muscular.

"Excuse me?" Evelyn asked, trying to stay calm.

"Wha's a gurlie like you doin' in a place like this?" he questioned, his tone more angry than flirty.

"I believe I have every right to be here." Evelyn answered smoothly, becoming annoyed by his attitude.

"You're just'a weak, tiny gurlie. Ya shouldn' be hangin' out in here, freaky eyes." He said, tightening his grip on her shoulder.

Evelyn held back a flinch of pain at his grip, refusing to back down. With a fire in her eyes, she replied, "I'm sure I can handle myself, thanks."

"Oh yeah? I bet ya couldn' even hold your own against me, ya little punk." He goaded, challenging her.

And Evelyn loved a challenged. "You're on, 'Roid Rage."

"Uh, Evie?" Dipper asked worriedly.

He'd stayed behind to make sure that she'd be okay, and had been hoping she'd back down. But, he knew Evelyn could rarely resist a challenge, especially when people mocked her. It wasn't that he doubted her strength, because she was one of the strongest girls he knew, she'd trained hard for it, but it was more the fact that he didn't like how big this guy was. He looked dangerous.

"I'll be fine, Dip. Just stay safe, alright?" She gave him a reassuring smile, before following the man over to another part of the room for their test of strength.

Sighing, Dipper headed over to Manly Dan alone.

-DaLD-

Dipper had talked to Manly Dan, who told him the ax was a left-handed one, which was certainly a huge clue. He had a theory on how to catch the murderer using the information he'd just gotten, but first he needed to find his wayward sisters.

He first located Mabel by the bar with a biker, playing with a cootie catcher. 'Only Mabel…' he sighed as he approached her.

Mabel gasped, looking at the biker's fortune. "Your wife is gonna be beautiful!"

The biker, who now looked a lot less frightening, pumped his arm. "Yes!"

"Mabel!" Dipper interrupted. "Big break in the case!"

Mabel hopped of the stool, leaving the biker as she followed her brother.

"But will she love me?!" he cried out, reaching for to Mabel.

"Dipper, where are we going?" Mabel asked as Dipper led her into another corner of the bar.

"We're trying to find Evie. She went off to do some feat of strength with a biker guy." Dipper explained anxiously, glancing around for his sister.

"Hey, maybe she's over there!" Mabel pointed to a circle of men who were cheering around a table.

As they approached, they heard the men chant, "Evie! Evie! EVIE!"

They squeezed their way to the front of the crowd, only to stop in their tracks at the delight before them. Evelyn was sitting at the table facing a large man with a black beard and huge arms, in the middle of an intense arm wrestling match. On the floor beside her lay a man who was either dazed or unconscious. The man, to Dipper's surprise, was the blond that Evelyn had called 'Roid Rage'.

"Come on, is that all you got, Princess?" Evelyn antagonized, slightly out of breath from exerting herself so much.

The man roared and pushed his arm harder, but barely made any leeway.

"Evie!" Dipper yelled beside her, still shocked at his sister's strength.

"Hey Dip." She responded casually, pushing harder and making the fight turn in her favour. The crowd cheered.

"We need to go!" Dipper shouted, trying to be heard over the cheering.

"Gotcha." With that, Evelyn put all her strength in one last push, taking the man's arm down and winning the fight. The momentum her arm had and the fact that the man hadn't expected to be beaten made the unprepared man fall off of his stool.

The crowd went wild at Evelyn's second victory. She grinned, victory and happiness shining in her eyes, before jumping off her stool and joining her siblings, smiling brightly at their open mouthed looks.

"All right, let's go." She said.

The crowd groaned, realising the brunette was leaving.

"See ya later, fellas!" she called, waving at them as she left with her siblings.

Calls of 'You come back, ya hear?' and 'I'll beat you next time, little lady!' followed the three out of the bar.

As they walked out into the street, Mabel exclaimed in awe, "Whoa, Evie, you're so strong!"

"Thank you!" she smiled down at her energetic younger sister.

"Yeah, I didn't know you could do that." Dipper noted, looking at his sister in a new light.

"Well, years of self-defence and martial art classes have to pay off eventually. Plus, the blond was drunk, so it was pretty easy to take him down." Evelyn pointed out humbly, before bringing them back on track. "So, you pulled us out because you found something, right?"

Dipper nodded. "It's a left handed ax." He explained before showing them a list. "These are all our suspects. Manly Dan is right handed, that means…"

"That all we have to do is find the left handed suspect and we find our killer." Evelyn finished, catching onto his train of thought.

Mabel was pumped by Dipper's find. "Oh man, we are on _fire_ today! Pa-zow, pa-zow, pa-zow!"

"Let's find that murderer." Said Dipper confidently, fist bumping his siblings.

-DaLD-

They'd gone all over town, coming up with ways to get people to use their dominant hand. The twins got more and more pumped the narrower the list became. Evelyn, however, didn't share their enthusiasm, though she kept her doubts to herself.

She still had the theory that the killer hadn't been going for _Wax_ Stan, and she honestly didn't want her siblings or her to be anywhere _near_ that person if she was right.

She'd also briefly thought that it being a left handed ax didn't mean too much. An intelligent killer could use a weapon meant with his opposite hand to confuse the police. That thought had disappeared quickly however, when she realised that most of the locals wouldn't have the foresight to pull a move like that.

Plus, it was ridiculously easy to fool the Gravity Falls Police regardless.

Another niggling doubt that Evelyn had was whether the killer was even human at all. Gravity Falls was a strange place where anything was possible, meaning there could be any monster _or_ human pulling the murder off.

She kept all her observations and theories to herself though. She didn't want the twins to stress or worry. For now, she'd rather they just focus on the possibility of it being a left handed local. She would look for clues that would be connected to her theories by herself.

Evelyn just hoped that she was entirely wrong about the murder; that it really was just an angry local. For all their sakes.

-DaLD-

They'd crossed off almost everyone off the list, making the twins even more excited. Dipper flipped through the list before looking up at his sisters, realization dawning on him.

"Mabel, Evie, there's only one person left on the list." He said, excitement creeping into his tone.

Mabel and Evelyn inspected the list, both realizing the same thing Dipper had.

Mabel gasped. "Of course, it all adds up!"

Evelyn looked at Dipper. "We need to tell someone about this."

"I think I know who we should tell…" Dipper trailed off, before heading further into the downtown area, his sisters right behind him.

-DaLD-

They'd managed to convince the sheriff and his deputy to listen to their evidence, which didn't take as long as Evelyn thought it would.

They had joined Sheriff Blubs and Deputy Durland on the raid, waiting outside the Gravity Falls Gossiper just after dark. Evelyn was nearly thrumming with excitement at the thought that _she_ was on a raid, albeit a very strange one.

"You kids better be right about this or you'll never hear the end of it." Blubs warned as he and Durland waited on either side of the door.

"The evidence is irrefutable." Dipper said, completely confident in his deduction.

"It's _so_ irrefutable." echoed Mabel.

Durland turned to Blubs, jumping from foot to foot excitedly. "I'm gonna get to use my match stick!"

"You ready? You ready little fella?" Blubs riled his deputy up, making Evelyn feel mildly disturbed.

"Woo! Woo!" they cried, poking each other with their police batons.

'Jeez.' Evelyn thought, 'We'd be screwed if there was ever a real emergency.'

"On 3!" Dipper whispered. "1, 2…"

Durland cut him off by kicking the door open. "Yaaah!" he cried.

Blubs followed him in. "Nobody move! This is a raid!"

As the siblings followed the police duo into the building, they saw Toby Determined fall from his chair and scramble backwards.

"Aaahh!" he yelled. "What is this? Some kind of raid?"

Evelyn face palmed. "That's what they said, Toby."

Durland smashed a lamp, laughing.

"Toby Determined, you're under arrest for murder of the wax body of Grunkle Stan." Dipper stated as he and his sisters stood in front of Toby.

"You have the right to remain impressed with our awesome detective work." Mabel added sassily, high-fiving her siblings.

"Gobbling goose feathers! I don't understand!" Toby exclaimed, frightened.

"Then allow us to explain." Evelyn began. "You were hoping that Grunkle Stan's new attraction would be the story that would save your failing newspaper. But when the show was a flop, you decided to make your own headline."

"But you were sloppy," Dipper continued for his sister, "and all the clues pointed to a shabby shoed reporter who was caught left handed."

Mabel crumpled up the newspaper she'd been holding in front of Toby. "Toby Determined, you're yesterday's news."

Toby looked shocked for a moment, before becoming amused. "Boy your little knees must be sore… from _jumping to conclusions_!" he did a stupid little dance. "Hachacha! I had nothing to do with that murder."

"I know it!" Dipper exclaimed, before catching on to Toby's words. "Wait, what did you say? Nothing? You said nothing?"

Mabel was shocked as well. "Huh? What? Could you repeat?"

Evelyn felt a sinking sensation as she saw the truth in Toby's eyes. He was innocent. Which meant that the killer was still out there…

Evelyn had hoped they were right because she knew Toby wouldn't have wanted to kill the _real_ Stan. But some people in town or some monsters or other supernatural creatures _would._

Blubs was skeptical about Toby's innocence. "Then where were you the night of the break in?"

Toby looked awkward and hesitant. "Ehh…" he inserted a security tape into an old TV.

On the security tape, it showed Toby, at 10 o'clock, walking over to a closet and taking out a cardboard cut-out of a woman. _"Finally, we can be alone, cardboard cut-out of TV news reporter Shandra Jimenez!"_

He then proceeded to make out with said cardboard cut-out, causing the cops and the Pines siblings to cringe and make various noises of disgust. Toby looked chagrined.

After Blubs got over the traumatic sight they'd all just witnessed, he became professional. "Time state confirms. Toby, you're off the hook. You freak of nature."

Toby cheered.

Dipper wasn't as cheerful about it. "But, but it has to be him! Check the ax for fingerprints!"

The cops checked, before Blubs said. "No prints at all."

Evelyn felt a little more dread creep in. If there wasn't any fingerprints, then it couldn't have been a local of Gravity Falls, it would have to be something supernatural. This meant that their entire goose chase would become much more dangerous for them…

Dipper was shocked. "No prints?"

"Hey I got a headline for you: city kids waste everyone's time!" mocked Durland in his annoying voice.

The adults laughed as the siblings shared looks of discomfort and embarrassment.

"Boy, I'd be pretty embarrassed if I was you three." Toby said as the tape of him kissing the cut-out continued playing.

"Oh, look behind you, you creep." Said Evelyn snarkily, making Toby blush in embarrassment.

-DaLD-

The next morning, the siblings attended the funeral for Wax Stan. They'd helped with the setup, placing the wax figures around the room in the chairs to create a slightly larger wake.

Evelyn had felt odd when she'd been placing the wax statues. She'd felt as though they were malicious, like their eyes were following her as she walked around. She'd begun to come up with another theory involving the wax figures, one that she wasn't eager to prove…

' _ **I would listen to your instincts if I were you, Little Bird.**_ ' The voice said.

Evelyn jumped in her chair, surprised by the voices' return. Her jump caused her siblings to look at her, startled and mildly concerned.

"You alright, Evie?" Mabel asked, squeezing her sister's hand.

Evelyn gave her a strained smile. "I'm fine."

'You're back?!' Evelyn thought.

' _ **Yep! Did you miss me? Admit it, you missed me!**_ ' the voice said cheekily.

'Just get out of my head!' Evelyn thought angrily.

' _ **Oh, come on! I just got back! It took forever to get enough energy to do this!**_ ' the voice protested. ' _ **Oh, and I'd pay attention if I were you. Your uncle is about to give a stirring speech about a wax figure of himself.**_ ' The voice added.

Evelyn growled mentally, but did what the voice said, and turned back to her uncle. The last thing she needed was to make her family aware that she was having an argument with a voice in her head.

' _ **Good girl.**_ ' said the voice.

Evelyn bristled, but focused on her uncle's speech.

"Kids, Soos, lifeless wax figures, thank you all for coming." Stan began.

Soos blew his nose, crying silently.

"Some people might say it's wrong for a man to love a wax replica of himself." Stan continued sorrowfully.

Soos, who was still sobbing, jumped up and pointed indignantly. "They're wrong!" he sputtered.

' _ **Jeez, your family's ridiculous, Little Bird.**_ ' The voice said, sounding both amused and annoyed.

Evelyn silently agreed with him.

"Easy Soos." Stan paused his rant. "Wax Stan I hope you're picking pockets in wax heaven." He stopped, wiping his eyes. "I'm sorry I got glitter my eye!"

Stan began to cry and ran out of the room.

"Ohhhhh duuuude…" Soos ran after Stan, leaving the siblings alone with the wax statues.

Dipper sighed. "Those cops were right about me."

Mabel put a comforting hand on Dipper's arm while Evelyn patted his head. "Dipper, we've come so far, we can't give up now." Mabel tried.

"She's right. It's unlike you to give up on anything, especially mysteries." Evelyn stated, trying to stop him from quitting. Despite her hesitation to have the twins hunting down the murderer, she knew that Dipper would not be able to let it go. It would just eat at him, unless he figured it out soon.

Dipper walked up to the coffin, with Evelyn trailing behind him. Evelyn stared at Wax Stan for a moment, before something caught her eye. Leaning closer, she realized what had caught her attention was the hole for the stand.

A feeling like a bucket of ice hit her.

' _ **What? What did you see?**_ ' the voice asked, not seeing her point. ' _ **It's just a hole.**_ '

'A killer with a hole in its shoe, no fingerprints, easy access to the house, and a grudge against Stan…' her eyes widened in realization.

The voice cursed. ' _ **Get out of there,**_ _ **now**_ _ **.**_ '

Dipper was still talking, before he saw the same thing his sister had.

"Wax Stan has a hole in his shoe…"

Mabel hadn't caught on. "All the wax guys here have that. It's where the pole thingy attaches to their stand dealy."

"We have to go." Evelyn ordered, agreeing with the voice.

"Why? I'm so close; I can almost feel it-!" Dipper was cut off by Evelyn grabbing his shoulders and lowering herself to be eye to eye with him.

"Dipper," she said urgently, fear clouding her eyes, "What has a hole on its shoe and no fingerprints?"

She watched the gears turn in Dipper's head, before it clicked.

"Oh my-" Dipper exclaimed, eyes wide.

"What?" Mabel asked, concerned and confused at whatever had spooked her siblings.

"Mabel! The murderers are-!" Dipper began, turning to his twin.

They heard a British voice and froze. "Standing right behind you."

Evelyn cursed quietly, turning to see Wax Sherlock Holmes stand and glare at them.

' _ **I told you to get out!**_ ' the voice said angrily.

'Well, it's a little late for that.' She retorted snarkily.

The siblings watched in shock as the rest of the statues groaned and stood up, stretching.

Dipper gasped. "Wax Sherlock Holmes! Wax Shakespeare! Wax Coolio?"

Wax Coolio turned to Holmes."Wha s'up Holmes?"

Wax Lizzie Borden walked up to Mabel and took her ax back, making Evelyn grab Mabel and stand in front of her protectively. Lizzie just smiled menacingly at Evelyn.

"Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh!" Mabel exclaimed, still in shock.

Wax Holmes walked up to the siblings, the other wax figures following behind him.

Homes took a menacing step forward and said, "Congratulations, my three amateur sleuths, you have unburied the truth, and now we're going to bury you."

 **-DaLD-**

 **Hey guys! Get ready for a long author's note! Sorry about the lateness of the update, but on the bright side, I'm almost done the next update, so that will be coming real soon.**

 **I at first debated on whether or not I should have the arm wrestle scene in this chapter, but I decided that this was Gravity Falls; a place where not everything makes sense at first. I know that it's not entirely realistic for a 17 year old girl to manage to beat fully grown men in an arm wrestling match, but to be fair, I have seen it before. I also thought it would be funny to see the slightly more wild side of Evie, a side the twins rarely see.**

 **Now her reason for taking the self defense courses and for how long she'd been doing them will be explained in a future chapter. I would also like to give the subtle hint that there** _ **is**_ **more to Evelyn's strange strength, but once again, that will be revealed in the future.**

 **Now to address one review that I personally enjoyed reading by Winterherox2Summervillain: I know that Evie's life seems to revolve around the twins at the moment and, to be fair, for her it normally does. Her past will gradually be revealed, and will show that Dipper and Mabel were a huge part of her developmental years, making her that much closer to them. I partially based her relationship on the one I have with** _ **my**_ **brother, but also on what I know her character's like. The funny thing is, when I got this review, I had just got done writing my second solo Evie chapter. I won't spoil what's in it, but I will say that Dipper vs. Manliness, Double Dipper, and Boy Crazy will definitely focus more on Evie that her siblings. And thank you for your kind review! It brightened up my day.**

 **This story's going to be pretty canon for now, with small changes that will lead to bigger consequences in the future. I will definitely start completely changing things in season 2, so for now, it will mostly be about developing my characters; setting the stage, so to speak.**

 **Lastly, I would just like to thank everyone that has already favorited, followed and/or reviewed my story! This is really becoming a huge part of my life (in a good way) and it's nice to see that people appreciate it!**

 **Please pardon any spelling errors, and please review, follow and favorite! I do not own Gravity Falls, and I hope you guys have a wonderful day!-Aria.**

 **P.S. I know it's a dumb question, but I** _ **am**_ **new at this, so: if I get rid of a document on the manager that's already been uploaded and published as a chapter, does the chapter disappear as well? I don't think it does, but I'd prefer not to chance it. Thanks for reading this far!**


	11. Chapter X: Headhunters (part 4)

Wax Sherlock Holmes stared at the Pines siblings with distaste. "Bravo, Dipper Pines. You've discovered our little secret. Though I believe your elder sister figured it out first."

Wax Holmes took out Wax Stan's head, which had been hidden in his cloak. "Applaud, everyone, applaud sarcastically."

The other wax statues began to applaud, sincere smiles on their faces.

Wax Holmes became annoyed. "Uh, no that sounds too sincere. Slow clap."

The wax figures slowed their clapping immediately, their smiles wiped off their faces.

Holmes was pleased by the quick change. "There we go, nice and condescending."

"But… how is this possible? You're made of wax!" Dipper exclaimed, nearly hysterical.

"That's what _I_ would like to know." Evelyn said, stiffening as she went on the defensive. She knew that they were in a _very_ dangerous situation, and she honestly just wanted to stall them to find a way to get her and her siblings out.

"Are you… _magic_?" Mabel asked, ever the optimist.

' ** _Jeez, you're sister only sees the bright side, huh?_** ' the voice said, sounding slightly amused and on edge.

Wax Holmes laughed sarcastically. "Are we magic? She wants to know if we're magic!" He stopped laughing, his face twisting in anger as he yelled, "We're CURSED!"

Evelyn pulled her siblings back further behind her, trying to put some space between them and the wax figures as they chanted, "Cursed! Cursed!"

"Cursed to come to life whenever the moon is waxing." Holmes continued. "Your uncle bought us many years ago at a garage sale."

"A _haunted_ garage sale, son!" Wax Coolio added.

The wax figures looked lost in thought. 'Probably remembering their earlier lives.' Evelyn mused.

' ** _This is your chance! Get out while they're distracted!_** ' the voice exclaimed.

'I can't.' she thought. 'If we make any sudden moves, they'll probably shake themselves out of their memories and get back to trying to murder us. Their backstory gives us time to think of a good way out. Plus, I don't like the look of Lizzie Borden with that ax.'

The voice huffed. ' ** _You're being stupid Little Bird! Escape while you can!_** '

Evelyn jumped in surprise when Wax Holmes spoke. "And so, the Mystery Shack Wax Collection was born. By day we would be the playthings of man."

"But when your uncle went to sleep, we would rule da night." Wax Coolio added.

"It was a charmed life for us cursed beings…" Holmes lamented, before his voice became harsh once more. "That is, until your uncle closed up shop."

"We've been waiting ten years to get our revenge on Stan for locking us away." Holmes said. "But we got the wrong guy."

Evelyn looked at him grimly. 'I knew it.' She thought.

' ** _It sounds like he's just about done his self-pity session. Have you found a way out?_** ' the voice asked.

'No, other than through the wax figure mob.' She sighed internally, feeling odd about talking so normally to a voice inside her head.

' ** _What are you going to do then?_** ' the voice asked.

'I guess we'll have to fight our way out.' She thought.

Dipper was shocked at the wax statues' true plan. "So, you're trying to murder Grunkle Stan for real?!"

Mabel clung to her sister's arm. "You were right all along, Dipper! Wax people are creepy!"

Wax Holmes became impatient. "Enough! Now that you know our secret, you must… die."

In unison, the wax statues growled, their eyes rolling back into their heads as they approached the siblings.

'Well, that'll give me nightmares.' Evelyn thought.

' ** _You can be witty later, Little Bird. Focus on the evil, zombie-like wax monsters that want to kill you!_** ' the voice said sarcastically.

"What do we do, what do we do?" Mabel panicked.

"I don't know!" Dipper yelled.

They began throwing objects from the table behind them at the oncoming threat. Dipper, desperate to stop them, threw the coffee maker at Wax Genghis Khan. Once the hot liquid hit him, the wax man began melting, screaming in pain as he did so.

"That is nightmare fuel right there." Evelyn stated, before becoming serious. "But now we know that heat hurts them!"

"That's it! We can melt them with hotty melty things!" Mabel exclaimed.

The siblings looked at the table behind them and quickly took an electric candle each, wielding it like a sword. They shared a smile before turning back to the threat.

"Anyone more and we'll melt you into candles!" Dipper threatened.

"Decorative candles!" Mabel added.

Wax Holmes looked incredulous. "You really think you can defeat us?"

They looked around, uncomfortable and indecisive. "I-I don't really know. I'm-I'm not really sure." Dipper stuttered.

"We're already here, may as well try." Evelyn shrugged indecisively.

"It's worth a shot, I guess." Mabel added.

' ** _You're not really intimidating, are you?_** ' the voice said rudely, ' ** _you could at_** ** _least_** ** _pretend to be confident that you'll win._** '

Wax Holmes had gotten a similar vibe from the siblings. "So be it…" He said grimly before turning to other wax people. "Attack!"

They began to converge on the siblings, forcing the kids and teen to defend themselves. Mabel dodged Lizzie Borden's swing of her ax, making her accidentally decapitate Robin Hood. With a low growl, Evelyn attacked Wax Lizzie Borden.

"No one tries to hurt my sister!" she muttered darkly as she swiftly cut off the wax figures arms with her candle, making Wax Lizzie scream.

Evelyn made quick work of cutting Lizzie in half, before having to dodge a blow from none other than the Queen of England.

"Die!" Wax Queen Elizabeth the Second cried.

Dodging another one of the wax Queen's attack, Evelyn raised her candle and cut off the Queen's head.

"Oh dear!" the head cried.

Evelyn winced. "Sorry, your Majesty."

She looked back to see Mabel battling Shakespeare's arms and Dipper decapitating Larry King. 'There's something vaguely wrong with this image…' Evelyn thought sarcastically.

' ** _Yeah, your family is crazy. Is this a normal day for you?_** ' the voice inquired.

'It's starting to become an unfortunate habit.' Evelyn thought before dodging the swing of another wax figure.

After taking out a few more wax figures, she saw Wax Sherlock Holmes approaching her brother with his sword drawn.

"Oh no you don't." she growled, before running until she was standing in front of Dipper protectively. Wax Holmes raised his sword, getting ready to cut Evelyn down.

' ** _Are you an IDIOT?! Get out of there! Use your candle!_** ' the voice yelled.

'I dropped it when I ran to get to Dipper in time.' Evelyn said, defensive and resigned.

Mabel called out to Evelyn as Holmes lowered his sword, throwing a heated poker at her. "Catch!"

Just as the sword was about to hit flesh, Evelyn caught the poker by the handle and used it to block the sword. As Sherlock Holmes continued swinging at her and she blocked him, the voice said, ' ** _Get out of that room. If you get him alone, it'll be easier to end him._** '

Evelyn decided to follow the voice's advice, since she saw his logic. She also would rather get into a deadly sword fight away from where her siblings could be hurt by it.

"Dipper." She called to her brother, who was behind her. "Go over to Mabel. I'll take care of this."

Dipper nodded apprehensively and stood back, watching as the wax figure slowly pushed Evelyn out of the room with the force of his swings, Evelyn backing up and keeping her stance defensive.

The two continued their fight all the way up to the attic floor, where Sherlock managed to corner her. Holmes once again raised his sword.

"Once your family is out of the way, we'll rule the night once more!" he cried.

' ** _What in the multiverse are you going to do now, Little Bird?!_** ' the voice exclaimed.

She glanced around her, at a loss, before noticing the window and smirking. 'I have a plan.'

Out loud, she said, "I wouldn't bet on it." Her words only enraged the wax statue even more.

As Sherlock brought the sword down, Evelyn rolled out of the way and scrambled out of the window onto the roof.

' ** _What's the plan? Jump to your death before he can get you?_** ' the voice said sarcastically.

'You'll see!' she thought.

"Come back here, you brat!" Holmes yelled as he followed her out onto the roof.

Evelyn carefully climbed onto the Mystery Shack sign, balancing herself as she moved away from Sherlock Holmes. He followed her, poker and sword clashing as they both tried to keep their balance as they fought.

' ** _Don't you dare fall._** ' The voice warned.

'Never.' She smirked inwardly.

"Evie!" she heard Dipper cry.

She quickly glanced behind Holmes to see that her brother had made his way up and was watching them fight horror on his face.

"Dipper! I told you to stay with Mabel!" she yelled.

"I was worried about you!" he called out.

Evelyn jumped back as Sherlock swung his sword down, knocking the 'S' in 'Shack' down. She winced. 'Grunkle Stan is going to be _so_ pissed…' she thought.

' ** _Focus on the sword-wielding freak in front of you!_** ' the voice exclaimed.

Wax Holmes was becoming enraged at Evelyn. "You really think you can outwit me, girl? I'm Sherlock bleeding Holmes! Have you seen my magnifying glass? It's enormous!"

Knowing she needed to work fast in order to keep Holmes' attention on her and not on Dipper, who was easier to reach, she quickly dropped the poker and began climbing off the sign. She climbed over the roof and quickly ran to hide behind the chimney, waiting.

After a moment, she glanced around from behind her hiding place, but saw no trace of the wax figure. Panic, gripped her. 'What if he went after Dipper?!' she thought, ready to forget her plan to save her brother.

Suddenly she was kicked hard from the side, sending her flying to the other half of the roof. Wax Sherlock followed her, raising her sword. "Any last words?"

"Evie!" she heard Dipper cry as he scrambled to climb over the roof to reach them.

' ** _Your plan better work. You can't die here, or I'll bring you back just to kill you again!_** ' The voice shouted at her.

Evelyn just smirked. "You got any sunscreen, Sherly?"

Wax Sherlock was perplexed at her lack of fear and strange words. "Got any-? What?"

The sun began rising, its rays reaching the trio on the roof. Evelyn glanced at it, her smirk still in place. Sherlock turned to where Evelyn was looking and gasped.

"No." he protested as he began to melt.

Evelyn calmly got up and brushed herself off as Dipper ran towards her, wrapping his arms around her waist and squeezing her tightly, grateful that she was okay.

"Letting me lead you outside before down? Not your sharpest decision there, Sherly."She wrapped an arm around her shaking brother in comfort as she watched the wax statue melt.

"Outsmarted by a girl in indecently short pants! No!" Wax Holmes yelled as he continued melting. "Fiddlesticks! Humbugs! It's a total kerfuffle. Butter hullaboo."

In moments, all that was left was a pile of melted wax and Sherlock's melting head.

Dipper, who'd finally let go of his sister, looked confidently at the melted foe. "Case closed."

Dipper wiped his hands together, but the dust that floated of them made him sneeze his kitten sneeze.

The melting head laughed as it started sliding off of the roof. "Ha ha ha! You sneeze like a kitten! Those policemen were right, you're adorable! Adorable!"

As he yelled his last words, he fell off the roof, the 'splat' sound they heard signifying his demise.

They both looked disgusted.

"E-ew." Dipper said, disturbed.

' ** _I'll admit, that was pretty clever, Little Bird. I didn't see that one coming._** ' The voice said, slightly tinged in admiration.

'Thanks.' Evelyn thought, before shaking her head.

"Let's head back." Evelyn said as they began walked back to the window.

-DaLD-

When they walked back into the room, they saw Mabel throwing Shakespeare's head into the fire.

"Evie! Dipper! You're both okay! You solved the mystery after all." Mabel exclaimed, looking relieved.

Dipper got a chair to take Wax Stan's head off the wall. "I couldn't have done it without my two sidekicks."

"No offense Dipper, but you're the sidekick." Mabel said amusedly.

"What? Says who? Have people been saying that? Have you heard that?" Dipper asked nervously.

"I think we're a team, not sidekicks." Evelyn jokingly argued, smiling at her siblings.

Stan walked in on that moment, surveying the mess with shock. "Hot Belgian Waffles! What happened to my parlour!?"

"Your wax figures turned out to be evil, so we fought them to the death!" stated Mabel cheerfully.

"I decapitated Larry King." said Dipper.

"And I was in a swordfight with Sherlock Holmes." Evelyn added.

Stan laughed, not believing them. "Ha! You kids and your imaginations!"

"On the bright side, though, look what we found." Dipper handed over Stan's wax head.

"My head!" Stan exclaimed. "Ha ha! I missed this guy! You done good kids! Alright, line up for some affectionate noogie-ing."

Stan approached them as they backed away nervously. "Oh, I'm not so sure about that. Is there any other alternative?" Dipper asked, voice cracking.

"Oh uh… I'm not so sure…" Mabel tried.

"Gee, I'd love to, but, uh, I have somewhere to be…" Evelyn attempted.

Stan ignored them, and, laughing, grabbed them all and noogied each of them, forcing Evelyn to crouch to be at her siblings' level. They all laughed at the act of tough love, knowing this was Grunkle Stan's way of saying thank-you.

The affectionate noogies were cut short by Sheriff Blubs and Deputy Durland, who had stopped their police car outside the open window.

"Solved the case yet, kids? I'm so confident you're gonna say no, that I'm gonna take a long, slow sip from my cup of coffee." He then proceeded to take said long, slow sip.

'He's setting himself up there.' Evelyn thought to herself.

' ** _I can't wait to see his face when he gets scalded by his own coffee._** ' The voice commented sadistically.

Dipper spoke smugly. "Actually, the answer is yes."

Sheriff Blubs, in shock, spat his steaming coffee onto Deputy Durland screamed and spat coffee in Blubs face, and he screamed and spat his coffee once more onto Durland, who repeated the same thing. The voice laughed hysterically in Evelyn's head.

' ** _You flesh bags are hilarious!_** ' the voice managed to say between fits of laughter.

"It burns! It burns!" Blubs screamed.

"My eyes!" yelled Durland.

They drove away, blind and screaming.

The Pines family laughed, enjoying their minor revenge.

"They got scalded!" Stan exclaimed.

A moment later, Evelyn heard a worrying crash, but brushed it off. 'They'll be fine.' She reassured herself.

Dipper turned to Mabel. "So, did you get rid of all the wax figures?"

"I am ninety-nine percent sure that I did!" exclaimed Mabel cheerfully.

"Good enough for me!" Dipper responded, before they went back to laughing.

For a moment, Evelyn thought she heard Larry King's voice coming from the vents, but dismissed herself, deciding it was just her imagination.

-DaLD-

The rest of the day passed by fairly quickly with only one odd occurrence, which was Mabel talking to disembodied voices directions for clothing.

The Pines siblings were all tucked in, fast asleep, and Evelyn listened to her siblings' slow breaths, before turning back to her thoughts.

'You there?' she asked mentally, feeling crazy for trying to talk to a voice in her head.

There was silence for a moment before a voice answered. ' ** _You should be asleep, Little Bird._** '

'But I have questions.' She argued.

' ** _Then ask them._** ' The voice answered.

'Are you real? Or a figment of my imagination?' she questioned, worried for her sanity.

' ** _I am completely real, and no, you're not crazy._** '

'But how are you talking to me?' Evelyn questioned.

' ** _I'm trapped in the Mindscape, but I can communicate with you since your mind's open to me._** ' the voice explained plainly.

'So you're not human?' Evelyn asked.

' ** _Of course I'm not one of those walking sacks of flesh. I'm talking to you in your mind, remember?_** '

'I suppose so.' Evelyn thought. 'Then what are you?'

' ** _Well, I'm something infinitely more powerful than some weak human._** '

Hearing the voice's disdain when he said the word 'human', Evelyn became offended. 'Then why are you talking to me, a _weak human_?'

' ** _Because you're interesting._** ' The voice said, ignoring her tone. ' ** _You're different from the other idiots in this small town. I'm interested to see where you'll be going with your 'adventures' this summer._** '

'Thanks.' She thought sarcastically.

' ** _Anytime._** ' The voice said, amused.

'So, I take it you're not going to leave me alone?' she questioned, exasperated.

' ** _Nope._** ' The voice answered cheerfully.

'Then I'm stuck with you?' she asked.

' ** _Looks like it. Just think of me as your snarky conscience._** ' The voice said. ' ** _Now sleep. I'll see you in your dreams._** '

Evelyn, who had become very tired, just managed to ask, 'Can I at least get the name of my new constant?'

' ** _The names_** ** _Bill Cipher_**.' The voice said, laughing as she fell asleep.

 **-DaLD-**

 **Dun, dun, dun! And there's the last part of Headhunters! I feel good about how this chapter worked out, though it's sometimes tricky to write Bill's part. I see him as a possessive, obsessive, intelligent dream demon with an agenda that he won't easily deviate from, so I'm trying to stay true to his personality. But don't worry, fluffy moments will start to appear later on!**

 **I hope you guys liked this chapter! I won't be able to update for most of next week, since I have three big exams, but once they're over, updates will continue. I'm super excited to write future fluffy moments with Bill and Evelyn, so I fully intend to continue updating regularly. If you have any questions about this story, please don't hesitate to PM me!**

 **Please favorite, follow and/or review! I am super happy that this story has so many followers already, and I appreciate every single one of you and your interest in my story. I hope you guys have a wonderful day! –Aria**

 **(I don't own Gravity Falls)**


	12. Chapter XI: THTRTM (part 1)

A few days after the cursed wax statues incident, Evelyn, Mabel, Dipper and Soos were watching some TV during their break. Since Stan was finishing a tour, they didn't need to work in the Gift Shop and had decided to enjoy some 'quality time together' while watching..

As she stared blankly at the TV, Evelyn pondered over the enigma that was Bill Cipher. After their talk where he told her his name, he hadn't talked to her for a full day before coming back. Apparently, he had been growing strong enough to spend more time with her in her head, something she wasn't sure she was too happy about. On one hand, he was entertaining, but on the other, she had no idea what he was (only that he wasn't human), or what his agenda was. He also had a bad habit of badmouthing humans almost non-stop, which was getting on her nerves.

She wasn't entirely sure she could trust him, since he rarely talked about himself. Well, that was a lie. He _talked_ about his power and his intelligence (she'd come to the conclusion that he was fairly full of himself), but he never mentioned anything _about_ himself; where he was from, what he was… why he was imprisoned. The lack of… knowing worried her.

' ** _Human shows are dumb. Why do you even watch this stuff?_** ' Bill complained, not having noticed her distracted thoughts. Apparently Bill, unlike herself, was actually paying attention to the TV.

He'd explained to her that he could see what she saw and sometimes her surroundings, though it took more energy at times.

'If you don't like it, you don't have to watch it.' She retorted mentally.

Another thing that bothered her was his interest in her. He claimed that it was because she 'wasn't as stupid as the other flesh bags', but she felt as though he was keeping something from her, like he knew something she didn't.

Luckily, for her sanity that is, she figured out a way to hide her thoughts from him, though he'd later explained that he couldn't read all of her thoughts anyway without wasting energy.

She felt her necklace warm up, getting her out of her worried thoughts. Clutching it, she thought to Bill, 'What was that about?'

' ** _You were distracted and I wanted get your attention._** ' He explained, sounding annoyed.

'I'm allowed to get distracted sometimes. I can't entertain you all day.' She thought.

' ** _Why not?_** ' he asked, now amused.

'Because my world doesn't revolve around you.'

' ** _I don't know, I've been to worlds that end up revolving around me._** ' Bill stated, smug.

'You're insufferable.' She sighed internally.

' ** _Then I'm doing my job right!_** ' he laughed.

She decided to ignore him and focuse on the TV show that had annoyed him.

" _The tiger was badly injured in the explosion, but we repaired him with a fist."_ The Narrator said.

Evelyn groaned internally. 'Oh no, please not…'

 _"Tiger fist!"_ the announcer exclaimed. _"…will return after these messages."_

The others cheered, loving the nonsensical TV show. Soos, who was staring at the TV intently, excitedly pointed at the screen, getting the attention of the Pines siblings. "Hey, look. It's that commercial I was telling you guys about."

They all looked curiously as a weeping man appeared on screen with a light blue background.

 _"Are you completely miserable?"_ the voice over asked.

 _"YES!"_ the crying man yelled.

 _"Then you need to meet,"_ the voice over suddenly turned to a whisper, _"_ _ **Gideon**_ _."_

Dipper was curious. "Gideon?"

Evelyn was not impressed. "Who's he?" she asked as she stared at the silhouette on the screen.

Mabel shared her sister's sentiments. "What makes him so special?"

 _"He's a psychic."_ The voiceover said, sounding as though he was answering Mabel's question.

"Aroo?" Mabel sounded, cocking her head to the side in question.

The voiceover continued. _"So don't waste your time with other so-called 'man of mystery'."_

The image changed to one of Stan coming out of the outhouse, the word 'FRAUD' stamped across him.

"Looks like _somebody's_ jealous." Evelyn commented while she smirked, her red eyes flashing.

 _"Learn about tomorrow tonight,"_ the voiceover resumed. _"At Gideon's Tent of Telepathy."_

The voiceover quickly sped through the subtext, Evelyn missing everything he said except something a Carla woman.

"Wow, I'm getting all curiosity inside!" Mabel said, squirming in her seat.

Stan overheard Mabel as he walked in the room. "Well, don't get too curiousy. Ever since that monster Gideon rolled into town, I've had nothin' but trouble."

Despite her uncle's anger, Mabel's curiosity could not be quelled. "Well, is he really psychic?" she wondered.

Dipper was curious too. "I think we should go and find out."

Evelyn shrugged. "I don't see why not."

Stan was furious. "Never! You're forbidden from patronizing the competition. No one that lives under my roof is allowed under that Gideon's roof!" He stomped out of the room, convinced that his words would stop his curious nieces and nephew.

Dipper turned to Mabel. "Do tents have roofs?"

Mabel smiled at her twin. "I think we just found our loop hole… literally!" she held up a string with a loop on it. "Mwop mwop!"

' ** _I lost my faith in humanity a long time ago, but this is pushing it._** ' Bill grumbled.

'Hey!' Evelyn admonished. 'She'd my little sister and _I_ happen to think she's funny.'

She turned her head when the voice over continued. _"So come down soon, Folks. Gideon is expecting you."_

Evelyn felt a sudden jolt of dread at the slightly sinister sentence, but didn't understand why.

' ** _It's your instincts._** ' Bill supplied. ' ** _And if I were you, I'd listen to them._** '

-DaLD-

They'd managed to sneak out to Gideon's 'Tent o' Telepathy' after dinner, though Evelyn had this strange sense of foreboding. She decided to brush it off, deciding to enjoy the trip with her siblings and Soos.

As they neared the tent, they heard the man from the voice over. He was standing at the entrance of the tent, holding a bag."Step right up here folks. Put your money in Gideon's psychic sack."

The tourists murmured about how logical the money bag was as they put their money in, the voiceover man grinning delightedly as he swindled them.

'For someone who hates Grunkle Stan, they sure use his methods a lot.' Evelyn thought as they walked in.

As they looked around from their seats, Dipper exclaimed, "Whoa, this is like a bizarro version of the Mystery Shack. They even have their own Soos."

He pointed to a handyman that looked nearly identical to Soos. Soos narrowed his eyes at the imposter as Evelyn stared at him, amused by his reaction and tried to stifle her laughter.

Her attention was pulled back to the stage when the lights dimmed and a spotlight lit up on the stage curtains.

"It's starting! It's starting!" Mabel whispered, cheering quietly.

"Let's see what this _monster_ looks like." Dipper said, looking intently at the silhouette that grew larger and larger from behind the blue curtain.

Evelyn was confused and disappointed when the curtains opened to reveal a ten year old boy with large, white, poufy hair and a little blue suit.

' _This_ is Stan's worst enemy?' she thought, incredulous.

' ** _Only a Pines would have an infant as a rival._** ' Bill said.

'That's my family you're talking about. Now, hush!' Evelyn thought, focusing on the show.

' ** _Don't hush me, human! You don't know what you're dealing with here._** ' Bill said, sounding angry at her dismissal.

'Last time I checked, it's _my_ head you're in.' she rebuked.

Bill huffed, but let it go, seemingly deciding to not pick this battle. She knew he was growing tired of her 'insolence', but she couldn't bring herself to care at the moment.

Li'l Gideon spoke to the crowd. "Hello America! My name is Li'l Gideon."

He clapped, making doves fly out of his unnaturally large hair.

"That's Stan's mortal enemy?" Dipper voiced his sister earlier thoughts.

"But he's so wittle!" Mabel said.

Gideon continued. "Ladies and gentleman, it is such a gift to have you here tonight! … Such a gift." He nodded to the audience gratefully.

"I have a _vision_. I predict that you will soon say 'awww'." He turned so that his back was to them before turning back and around, striking an adorable pose.

The audience 'awww'ed, while Evelyn cringed. 'He's kind of grossing me out. Isn't this destroying his childhood?' she thought.

Bill laughed hysterically.

"It came true." Mabel whispered in awe.

"What? I'm not impressed." Dipper said, crossing his arms.

"You're impressed!" Mabel nudged him.

"I feel like this is going to mess him up as an adult." Evelyn muttered to her siblings, feeling some pity for the white haired little boy.

Dipper nodded at his sister's point, when they heard a piano play and Gideon begin to sing.

" _Oh, I can't see, what others can't see_

 _It ain't some sideshow trick, its innate ability_

 _Where others are blind, I am futurely inclined_

 _And you too could see, if you was widdle ol' me!"_

He put his hand on his neck tie, before calling out the audience. "Come on everbody, rise up! I want y'all to keep it going!"

Evelyn, though she thought the song was catchy, had no intention of standing up. However, the choice was taken from her when her body stood up without her permission, almost as though she was a puppet.

'What?!' she panicked internally, realising that she couldn't sit back down no matter how hard she tried.

' ** _Someone's controlling you,_** ' Bill practically growled, ' ** _don't fight it, they might target you if they realise that you know something's wrong._** '

She reluctantly followed his instructions. Though she was definitely angry with Bill Cipher, and he no doubt was angry with her, she felt better knowing that he was still helping her, though she didn't know why. Her necklace warmed slightly, calming her down.

"Wha-? How did he-?" Dipper mumbled worriedly, not having wanted to stand up either.

Before any more could be said, Gideon continued. "Keep it going!" he called, before continuing his song.

" _You wish your son would call you more._ " He pointed to an old lady who was holding a cat.

"I'm leaving everything to my cats!" she cried angrily.

Gideon continued. " _I sense that you've been here before."_

He pointed to Sheriff Blubs, who was covered in Li'l Gideon merchandise.

"Oh, what gave it away?" Blubs said, pleased. Evelyn face palmed.

"Come on." Dipper complained, exasperated.

Gideon walked over to them, stopping in front of Mabel.

" _I'll read your mind if I am able,_ " he sang before staring at her slyly.

" _Something tells me you're named Mabel."_

He walked back up to the stage, leaving Mabel shocked. "How did he do that?" Mabel asked in awe, her sweater which read 'MABEL' completely uncovered.

'I worry about her sometimes.' Evelyn thought.

" _So welcome all ye…to the Tent of Telepathy._

 _And thanks for visiting… widdle ol' me!"_

Gideon danced as he sang the last part, ending the song with a pose. Gideon was a sweaty mess as the audience (save Evelyn and Dipper) started cheering and clapping.

After panting and drinking some water, Gideon turned back to the crowd.

"Thank you! You people are the real miracles!" he called.

"Woo! Yeah!" Mabel cheered with the others.

As they walked out, Dipper laughed. "Man, that kid's an even bigger fraud than Stan! No wonder our uncle's jealous."

Evelyn laughed and nodded in agreement.

"Oh, come on. His dance moves were adorable! And did you see his hair? It was like, whoosh!" Mabel defended lightly.

"You're too easily impressed." Dipper and Evelyn said in unison.

"Yeah, yeah!" Mabel said jokingly, punching her siblings' arms before they headed off, unaware that they were being watched.

In order to sneak out, they'd driven in Soos' truck, but since he was heading in the opposite direction and they didn't want the engine to attract Stan's attention, they decided to walk, since it only took around fifteen minutes by foot to get back to the Mystery Shack.

As they walked, the twins held Evelyn's hands because she wanted to be able to pull them away if a car showed up in the street, and since she saw better in the dark than them. Dipper and Mabel joked that it was because of her 'vampire eyes'.

A few minutes into the walk, Mabel began to drag her feet.

"You tired?" Evelyn asked knowingly.

"Yeah." Mabel said tiredly. "Can you give me a piggy back ride?"

"Sure." Evelyn smiled and lowered herself so that Mabel could climb on.

Once Mabel had securely wrapped her arms around her sister's neck and her leg's around Evelyn's waist, Evelyn stood up and continued walking, one arm holding her sister's leg and her other hand holding Dipper's hand. After two minutes, Mabel was out like a light.

"Evie?" Dipper asked quietly. "I have a question."

"Fire away." Evelyn smiled down at her brother.

"Why do you still treat us like we're kids?" At his sister's confused and slightly hurt expression, he quickly back pedalled. "I don't mean it in a bad way; I like when you tell us stories or carry us when we're tired. I just wanted to know why you still did it. We're twelve now."

Evelyn smiled softly, looking up at the now starry sky. "I guess I still kind of baby you guys, but I can't help it; you're my baby brother and sister." She paused for a moment and looked down at Dipper. "I remember the day you were born, you know." She added, still smiling.

"You do?" Dipper asked, staring up at his big sister in surprise.

"Yeah. I was only five at the time, but I remember sitting in the waiting room, waiting impatiently to be let in. I ran in the moment the door opened, completely ignoring the nurses I'd pissed off." She chuckled, before continuing. "Once I got in, I remember climbing onto the chair in front of mom's bed and looking down at the two bundles in her arms.

"She asked me, 'Evie, do you want to hold your new siblings?'. I knew I wanted to, so they at me down and passed you to me first. And I remember that when I looked into your eyes for the first time, that I would do anything to make you and Mabel happy. I promised myself that I would always be there for you."

Dipper looked at Evelyn, touched by her words, and squeezed her hand. She squeezed back, smiling at him, before deciding to mention:

"I'm also the one that came up with your nickname, you know."

"Wait, really?" Dipper asked, in shock at the new information.

After hefting Mabel, who snuggled into Evelyn's shoulder more, up higher so she wouldn't slip down, Evelyn continued.

"Yeah, when I was five I was into astronomy. So, when I saw your birthmark, I told mom that it looked like the big dipper. The nickname kinda stuck after that."

They shared a laugh at the story before finally entering the Mystery Shack. They quietly made it up the stairs without attracting Stan's attention, and, once they were in their room, Evelyn quickly tucked Mabel into bed and handed a sleeping Mabel her teddy, which she immediately clung to.

Dipper watched the scene softly with a new understanding, before Evelyn walked up to him and guided him towards his bed.

"Time to go to bed, short stack." Evelyn whispered, ruffling his hair fondly.

Once he was tucked in and wished goodnight, Evelyn turned around and began to go to her own bed when Dipper's voice stopped her.

"Thanks for always being there for us." He whispered sleepily.

Evelyn smiled. "Just doing my job." She replied jokingly.

"Love you, Evie."

"Love you too, Dipper."

She turned off the light and curled up in her bed, listening to the soft breathing of her sleeping siblings, and smiled once more before closing her eyes.

-DaLD-

 _In her dream, she was in the forest again, everything once again grey and lifeless. But, instead of searching for Bill as she usually did, this time she stopped and sat on a log in a small clearing. Though she felt the pull telling her to search for him, she ignored it as best as she could and waited for him to speak._

 _"_ _ **What, are you not going to look for me anymore?**_ _" Bill asked, his voice echoing slightly._

 _"Not until we talk, no." Evelyn replied, looking in the direction she thought his voice was coming from._

 _"_ _ **What do we need to talk about that couldn't wait until tomorrow? I need you to find me.**_ _" he sounded annoyed._

 _"Why_ _ **do**_ _you need me to find you?" Evelyn asked, wanting answers._

 _"_ _ **That's for me to know and you to find out once**_ _ **you**_ _ **find**_ _ **me**_ _ **.**_ _" Bill said._

 _"You haven't told me anything. How can I know I can trust you?"_

 _He huffed. "_ _ **Look, Little Bird, I haven't done anything that would make you feel like you can't trust me. Since I've been in your head, I've done nothing but help you out of the tight spots you've put yourself in. Can't I keep at least some secrets?**_ _"_

 _"I know you have helped, and I thank you for that, but I want to know_ _ **why**_ _. Every time you talk about humans, you act like we're dirt, as though we disgust and amuse you. So why would you want to spend time with one?"_

 _The clearing she was in started to get a reddish tinge as Bill's voice deepened in anger._

 _"_ _ **You would find out why, if you could just FREE ME!**_ _" he calmed down slightly, the forest returning to its grey shade. "_ _ **I've been around since before your universe was even created. Compared to me, humans are tiny microorganisms that barely know how to function. I have infinite knowledge and you guys haven't even figured out how to teleport yet. Can you see where I'm coming from?**_ _"_

 _Evelyn felt angry at his rude words. "No, I can't. You just called my entire race stupid! I get that you're super old and knowledgeable, but we're new. We need to learn, to grow, and that's okay. That shouldn't be something we're ridiculed for!"_

 _"_ _ **Jeez, calm down! Alright, alright, I'll stop with the derogatory terms for humans**_ _ **if**_ _ **they don't deserve it. Happy?**_ _"_

 _She calmed down. "Alright, I'll meet you halfway. Thank you."_

 _As she stood up, dusting herself off, Bill's voice stopped her once more._

 _"_ _ **Uh-uh. If I scratch your back, you'll scratch mine. I would like a favour in return for holding my tongue."**_

 _Evelyn hesitated for a moment, before asking carefully, "What would you want?"_

 _"_ _ **I think I'll save your favour for a rainy day.**_ _" A circle of blue fire surrounded Evelyn, making her yelp at the suddenness of it, before Bill's voice rang out from every direction. "_ _ **So… do we have a deal?**_ _"_

 _Feeling her necklace heat up and begin glowing on her chest, she hesitated for a moment. She didn't know what she was getting herself into… could she really do this for some peace and quiet against the constant human bashing? But Bill_ _ **had**_ _been decent to her for the time he'd been in her head… and it was_ _ **only**_ _one favour…_

 _Evelyn's voice sounded steadier than she felt as it rang out in the clearing. "Deal."_

 _Bill laughed maniacally for a moment, the flames rising higher, before they disappeared._

 _She stood still for a moment, processing what she'd just done impulsively, and starting to feel doubt. "Bill?" she called._

 _"_ _ **Yes, Little Bird?**_ _" he asked._

 _"You won't make me do anything… bad, will you?" she questioned, torn between feeling worried and curious._

 _"_ _ **Don't worry. I told you before; I don't plan on hurting you. You're going to be involved in something different than the others. Besides, why would I hurt the one I'm bound to?**_ _"_

 _Feeling her confusion, he laughed._

 _Bill was still laughing when she woke up, disappearing from the Mindscape._

 **-DaLD-**

 **And Evelyn has now followed in Ford (and eventually Dipper's) footsteps and made a deal with Bill Cipher! I wonder… what do you guys think he'll use his favour on?** **J**

 **I hope you guys enjoyed this! I've been excited about writing this chapter for a while. I know that right now it seems to be following the canon a bit too well, but very soon, I'll be adding extra chapters and Evie-centric ones as well. I'm super excited to hear your feedback for those ones! If you have any questions about the story, please don't hesitate to PM me or just ask your question in the reviews.**

 **The next chapter will be out next week, after my last exam. So far, it's been brutal, but writing this has proven to be very therapeutic for me. I would like to thank all the amazing people that have shown an interest in this story so far! You're all amazing!**

 **Please favourite, follow, and/or review! No flames please, and pardon all my grammar mistakes. Have an awesome day!-Aria**

 **I don't own Gravity Falls.**


	13. Chapter XII: THTRTM (part 2)

The next morning found Evelyn sitting beside Dipper, snacking on some chips as she read her favourite book.

"Hey, Evie?" Dipper called.

"Hmmm?" she glanced up at her brother for a moment, before turning back to her book.

"Have you still been having the dreams?" Dipper questioned, missing the way his sister froze at his words.

"Ummm… yeah, occasionally." Evelyn bit her lip, deciding on not telling him the whole truth. She hated lying to her brother, but she didn't think it was normal to hear a voice in your head that claimed to be trillions of years old and infinitely powerful.

"Has anything about them changed? Because I read in the Journal that the strange energy around the town can cause some of the more open-minded people to see visions of the future. Maybe you're destined to run through the woods looking for someone."

"…Maybe." Though Bill had told her that he'd created the forest 'Mindscape' so that they could communicate and so she could try to find him, Evelyn felt that that wasn't something she should explain to her brother. "The voice changes what he says sometimes, though."

"Oh." Dipper looked disappointed for a moment, before becoming determined. "I'll continue looking in the Journal. Don't worry Evie, we'll figure out what these nightmares mean."

Evelyn smiled at Dipper's sweetness and his concern for her. "Of course we will." She ruffled his hair. "We're the Mystery Siblings, after all."

Dipper groaned. "Don't call us that."

Mabel came running into the living room, her face covered in sequins. "Check it out, guys! I successfully bedazzled my face!"

Evelyn winced. "Doesn't that hurt?"

"Nope! Blink!" she blinked, some of the sequins flying off of her face, and flinched. "Ow."

"I knew it..." Evelyn sighed.

"Is that permanent?" Dipper asked tentatively.

Mabel exhaled sadly. "I'm unappreciated in my time…"

The doorbell rang, surprising everyone, since they hadn't expected any visitors.

" _Somebody answer the door!_ " Stan yelled from the other room.

Mabel jumped up. "I'll get it!" she yelled as she ran to the door.

Evelyn went back to her book, listening disinterestedly to the faint voices coming from the front door. Though she couldn't really make out the words, she heard Mabel's laugh and the voice of a kid. The voice sounded vaguely familiar, but she didn't bother getting up to check it out. If it was somebody that was threatening, Mabel would shout for help, right?

After a few moments, Stan shouted impatiently from somewhere in the house. " _Who's at the door?_ "

"No one, Grunkle Stan!" Mabel called, sounding entirely too innocent.

 _Innocent_ Mabel briefly ran into the living room, running over to her sister. "Love ya sis, going out, be back later, byeeee!"

Before Evelyn could even react, much less ask where she was going, Mabel was out the door.

' _ **Is she usually like that?**_ ' Bill asked.

Evelyn sighed mentally. 'Unfortunately, yes.'

-DaLD-

Mabel came back a few hours later to a curious Dipper and a worried Evelyn.

The moment Mabel walked into the family room, Evelyn ran over to her sister to reprimand her, then did a double take.

"What on earth is on your face?!" Evelyn questioned, looking at her dolled up younger sister.

Mabel smiled at her sister before going up to Dipper, dangling her newly manicured nails in Dipper's face.

"Hey guys, what's going ooooon?" Mabel said.

Dipper started, not realizing that she'd come home. "Whoa, where have you been? Evie's been worried sick! And what's going on with those fingernails, you look like a wolverine."

"I know, right?" Mabel fake roared and pretended to claw something. "I was hanging out with my new pal, Gideon. He is one dapper little man."

Dipper looked concerned. "Mabel, I don't trust anyone whose hair is bigger than their head."

"Yeah," Evelyn said. "He doesn't seem to be very trustworthy. I feel like he has a hidden agenda."

"Oh, leave him alone you two! You guys never want to do girly stuff with me!" Mabel complained, before pointing an accusing finger at Dipper. "You and Soos get to do boy stuff all the time!"

"What do you mean?" Dipper asked, confused.

"What about me?" Evelyn added. "I do girly stuff with you!"

"Yeah, but you aren't that girly." Mabel explained, momentarily ignoring Dipper. "You're not into dressing up or covering yourself with glitter, or putting on makeup. You _never_ put on makeup!"

"It's kinda true, Evie." Dipper conceded, siding with his twin.

Evelyn looked affronted. "Makeup is just eye goop and chemicals that barely enhance your appearance. Mabel, you look fine without makeup, so what's the point of wearing it?"

"Because it's fun to put on!" Mabel said, looking exasperated with her sister.

Soos ran in, interrupting the small argument. "Hey dude," he said to Dipper excitedly. "You ready to blow up these hot dogs in the microwave one by one?"

"Am I!" Dipper exclaimed enthusiastically, completely forgetting Mabel's words and running off with Soos.

A moment later, the sisters could hear popping sounds coming from the kitchen, and Soos and Dipper chanting "One-at-a-time! One-at-a-time!"

Mabel sighed, her point proven. As she began to walk away, Evelyn stopped her, putting her hand on Mabel's shoulder.

"This doesn't mean he doesn't want to do other stuff with you, Mabes. He's a growing boy, and there are moments when he wants to spend time with other boys, or men in Soos' case." Evelyn tried to look reassuring despite still being mildly hurt by Mabel's comment earlier.

"I know." Mabel sighed. "But, it's just; no one in the family wants to do super girly things with me."

"I do girly things with you." Evelyn repeated.

"Braiding each other's hair and hanging out together isn't the same as putting on makeup for no reason, or watching sappy romance movies."

Evelyn cringed at the mere mention of romance movies. Mabel always picked the sappiest ones.

"And I know you don't see the point of makeup. I mean, you don't really need it, but it'd be nice if we could do girly things together more often."

Mabel walked upstairs, leaving Evelyn feeling hurt and alone with her thoughts.

Evelyn turned to look at herself in the mirror and began to wonder. "Maybe I should start wearing makeup, even if it's just to make Mabel happy." She thought aloud.

' _ **No way, Little Bird.**_ ' Bill interrupted her musings. ' _ **There's no chance I'm letting you wear that disgusting clown goop.**_ '

'Oh?' Evelyn huffed, annoyed with his demanding tone. 'How could you stop me? And why shouldn't I wear makeup? It _could_ have a positive impact on my appearance.'

' _ **Believe me, Little Bird,**_ ' Bill said, sounding arrogant and smug. ' _ **I'm very adept at the act of persuasion. If I wanted to, could make it so you would never even**_ _ **want**_ _ **to wear makeup again.**_ '

'Yeah, okay, maybe you could.' She decided to let his egotistical comment go; focusing on what bothered her slightly more. 'But _why_?'

' _ **Because your meat suit is attractive enough as it is.**_ ' Bill answered, sounding like the answer was obvious.

Though Evelyn wouldn't admit it, Bill's words touched her. Other than her siblings and family, it was rare that anyone would ever call her attractive. Bill ruined the moment by continuing. ' _ **Besides, makeup would only make you look ridiculous.**_ '

With that, her warm thoughts were gone. ' _Thanks_ , Cipher.' She sarcastically thought.

' _ **Ouch. The last name basis hurts me… Come on Little Bird, you're not**_ _ **really**_ _ **mad with me.**_ '

Evelyn bit the inside of her cheek lightly, not wanting to answer him. After a few moments of silence, Bill called, ' _ **Little Bird? You're going to ignore me now? That's childish.**_ ' Though he kept his tone light and amused, Evelyn swore she could hear an undertone of worry in his voice.

She remained silent for once. He didn't seem to realise that it was not only his comment that was making her angry (though she was putting more stock in his words than she normally did to someone who was not family), but the fact that he was there at all. Even though they made a deal, and he seemed to be making an effort to uphold his side (something that surprised her greatly), it was hard for Evelyn to get used to the commentary in her head. She wasn't entirely sure she wasn't crazy either, even though Bill promised she wasn't, and all that stress coupled with her worry whenever an adventure started was making her more irritable than usual.

She jumped slightly when she felt her necklace (which she'd been unconsciously holding in her inner turmoil) warm up and begin to glow slightly. A feeling of… regret passed over her, and she realized that it was coming from the pendant .It took her only a moment to realize this was Bill's way of saying sorry, or at least the closest he'd ever come to saying it so far.

Her eyes softened slightly, before she begrudgingly thought to him, 'Well, I guess it would be exhausting to stay angry at a voice that's in my head all the time…'

' _ **I knew it!**_ ' Bill crowed, trying to hide the relief tinging his tone. ' _ **You can't say no to me, Little Bird.**_ '

'I don't think I'd go that far…' Evelyn sighed, before making her way upstairs, Bill's laugh echoing in her head.

-DaLD-

The next day, Mabel had come back from a playdate with Gideon looking nervous and upset Dipper and Evelyn, who noticed their sister's mood, offered to take turns playing video games with, something that always got each other's minds off their troubles.

Dipper and Mabel played a round, each of them already having played against Evelyn, who was now sitting on the ground, watching their game. Once they'd started playing, it hadn't taken Mabel long to unload her problems with Gideon on her siblings.

"It's not a date-date," Mabel defended, trying to explain her choice to go on a date with Gideon. "It's just, you know, I didn't want to hurt his feelings and so I figured I'd throw him a bone."

"Mabel, guys don't work that way." Dipper said, focusing on the game. "He's gonna fall in love with you."

"Dipper's right, Mabel." Evelyn added. "Leading him on will not only hurt him more when you break it off, but also make it harder for you to say no to him."

Mabel scoffed. "Yeah right. It's going to be easy. This is only _one_ date. Besides, I'm not _that_ lovable." She quickly shot Dipper in the game, winning the round. "Kaboom! Yes!"

Dipper slumped, annoyed at having lost to his twin. "Okay, we agree on something here."

The doorbell rang, and Mabel, guessing it was Gideon, went to go answer the door. She'd not even opened it fully when a white stallion burst through, making Mabel scream.

Her scream, and the whiny of the horse caught Evelyn's attention, and she curiously poked her head out of the doorway of the living room to look at the front door. Her eyes widened at the sight of the horse in the doorway, with a tiny Gideon all dressed up on the saddle, looking down at the Mabel with lovesick eyes.

"A night of enchantment awaits m'lady!" Gideon said, trying to be suave.

"Oh boy." Evelyn heard Mabel say as she looked at Gideon.

"Oh, dear." Evelyn looked on worriedly, knowing that Gideon was already too invested in this relationship.

Whatever happened now, she was almost certain that someone would get hurt by this.

-DaLD-

After Mabel and Gideon had left, Evelyn told Dipper her concerns about the date. Dipper tried to comfort Evelyn and assuage her concerns by telling her that this date was a one-time thing and Mabel would break it off before Gideon could get too serious.

Once he was sure his sister's concerns had been dealt with, they both headed into the Shack gift Shop to work, or at least laze around until a customer came around.

After a while, they were joined by Soos and Wendy, who could only talk about Mabel and Gideon's big date.

At hearing that they were in tabloids and town gossip, Evelyn became even more concerned for her sister, who already had trouble saying no once she realized how many people expected them to be together.

Their talk was interrupted by Stan, who burst in carrying a newspaper article about Mabel and Gideon.

"Hey, hey!" Stan yelled, furious. "What the jackal is Mabel doing in the paper next to that crazy pickpocket Gideon?"

Wendy answered, as calm and cool as ever. "Oh, yeah, it's like a big deal. Everybody's talking about Gideon and Mabel's big date tonight."

"WHAT?! That little shyster is dating my great niece?!" Stan practically screeched.

"What's a shyster?" Evelyn whispered to Dipper, who shrugged.

Soos, who hadn't picked up on Stan's mood, started listing ship names. "I wonder what the name will be for the power couple. Mabideon? Gideabel?" he gasped. "Magidbeleon!"

"Magidbeleon?" Evelyn shook her head. "No Soos."

Stan stalked out of the room, Dipper calling after him, "I didn't know! I didn't hear about it and plus, I told her not to."

"Dipper, you're such a bad liar." Evelyn said, laughing lightly.

"No, I'm not." Dipper argued.

"You just told him that you told Mabel to not go on the date _after_ saying you didn't know about it." Evelyn raised her eyebrow.

"I was under pressure." Dipper mumbled.

Evelyn opened her mouth, but was cut off by a newly dressed Stan, who stormed into the Gift Shop.

"Yeah, well, it ends tonight." Stan said, going back to Dipper's comment. "I'm going right down to that little skunk's house, this is gonna stop RIGHT now!" he ran out, slamming the door behind him.

"Dude, wouldn't it be funny if that was a closet, and he had to come back out again and go out the real door?" Soos commented a second later.

Dipper, Wendy and Evelyn just stared at Soos as he walked over to the front door, opened it, and looked outside.

"Nope. Real door." Soos said.

Evelyn and Wendy shared a look before saying in unison. "Men."

They started laughing, leaving a disgruntled Dipper and an oblivious Soos out of the loop. Once they finally stopped, wiping their eyes, they both went back to reading the Mabel and Gideon articles, reading them calmly.

"Women." Dipper muttered.

"What was that?" asked Evelyn calmly, not looking up from her article.

"Nothing!" Dipper exclaimed, not wanting to incur his sister's wrath.

Under the counter, Wendy and Evelyn high-fived victoriously.

-DaLD-

Once they'd closed up the gift shop, Dipper and Evelyn decided to wait up for Mabel's date to finish, and flipped through some pages in the Journal together in the living room.

They'd only gotten through a few pages when Mabel walked past them, having come back from her date.

"Hey. How'd it go?" Dipper asked, not looking up from the Journal.

Evelyn looked up to see Mabel standing in front of the tank, her shoulders hunched. "I don't know." Mabel sighed, going on her tip toes to drop a living lobster into the fish tank. "I have a lobster now."

Evelyn looked at her sister concernedly, knowing something was up.

Dipper, however, hadn't looked at Mabel's posture yet, and said. "Well, at least it's over and you'll never have to go out with him again."

Mabel just slumped down more and poked at the fish tank. Evelyn eyed her worriedly. "Mabel…"

Picking up on what Evelyn had with his twin's behaviour, Dipper became suspicious. "It's over, right? Mabel?"

"BLAARRGG!" Mabel exploded, flailing her arms. "He asked me out again, and I didn't know how to say no."

"Like this: no." Dipper deadpanned.

"It's not that easy, Dipper! And I _do_ like Gideon, as a friend slash little sister, so I didn't want to hurt his feelings! I just need to get back to where things used to be. You know, friends."

"Mabel, I get that you don't want to hurt him and want to keep your friendships, but saying yes to his date offers only makes him think that you like him more than just a friend." Evelyn sighed, looking her conflicted sister in the eye. "You have to remember that Gideon's only ten. He probably won't pick up on your hints about not wanting to date him. On the next date, when he asks you out again, I want you to be honest with him, okay?"

Mabel nodded despondently. "But what if I hurt him?"

"It'll hurt him more the farther you let him go with you. I mean, it'll hurt him regardless, but it will be a clean break the earlier you tell him." advised Evelyn wisely.

"Thanks for the advice, Evie." Mabel said.

"Now let's get ready for bed. You were out pretty late, Mabel." Evelyn teased, leading the tired twins to their room.

-DaLD-

Evelyn was just coming back from spending the day with Wendy when she heard Mabel muttering and pacing in the living room. Evelyn hadn't seen Mabel after her second date with Gideon, since she and Dipper had already been asleep due to their early shifts in the Gift Shop the next morning, meaning Evelyn never got to aske Mabel how it had gone.

Dipper, who had been walking down the hall to ask Evelyn a question, heard Mabel's muttering and, after sharing a look with Evelyn, they both walked into the room to talk to Mabel.

They walked in on Mabel talking to herself anxiously, almost pulling out her hair. "…I mean, he's so nice, but… I can't keep doing this. But I can't break his heart." Mabel suddenly shouted, making Evelyn jump. "I have no way out!"

"Mabel, what did you _do_?" Evelyn asked at the same time Dipper exclaimed, "What the heck happened on that date?"

Mabel was completely frazzled, making her siblings worry even more.

"I don't know!" Mabel cried. "I was in the friend zone, and then before I knew what was happening, he pulled me into the romance zone. It was like quick sand! Chubby quicksand!" she mimed trying to claw out of quicksand.

"Mabel, you _need_ to break it to him." Evelyn said, Bill mentally agreeing with her, annoyed with the never ending drama and the distraction that Mabel was giving Evelyn.

"Evie's right. Mabel, come on. It's not like you're gonna have to marry Gideon." Dipper reassured.

At that moment, Stan walked in, wearing a 'Team Gideon' t-shirt and holding some Gideon merchandise. "Great news, Mabel. You have to marry Gideon!"

"WHAT?!" Mabel and Evelyn yelled, Evelyn's tone much darker than Mabel's, her red eyes flashing in fury.

Stan, however, was oblivious to the dangerous aura emanating from his now bloodthirsty great niece, or the horror of her younger sister. "It's all part of my long term deal with Buddy Gleeful. There's a lot of cash tied up in this thing. Plus I got this shirt." He looked down at his protruding stomach for a moment, before making a sound of disgust. "Ugh, I am fat."

Mabel screamed and ran out of the room, still screaming as she ran away.

Misinterpreting her horror at her newfound engagement for his body, Stan called after her, "Bodies change, honey! Bodies change…"

It was only once he looked back at his two remaining family members in the room that he realized the nearly lethal look Evelyn was giving him, making Stan feel as if he was about to spontaneously combust. He took a step back nervously.

"You sold Mabel to Gideon in a _contract,_ _ **without**_ asking?" her voice was deceptively calm, only serving to worry Stan more. "And you thought it would be _okay_ to sign your _twelve year old_ great niece into _**marriage**_ _?!_ "

Her voice was becoming progressively louder as she continued ranting, looking more and more deadly as Stan stood there gaping at his great niece.

"Umm… yeah, I forgot to collect some papers in my office for, uh… some taxes. Gotta go!" he threw a smoke bomb down to momentarily blind Evelyn as he ran out.

"Come back and face me, you coward!" Evelyn yelled at her uncle's retreating figure. "GRUNKLE STAN!"

' _ **My, you're terrifying when you're angry.**_ ' mused Bill. ' _ **Remind me to not make you mad once I'm free.**_ '

Evelyn growled in anger before her necklace warmed up and sent almost… soothing waves, calming her down slightly.

Once Dipper saw that his sister was calmed down a bit, he hesitantly pulled on her arm. He waited until she turned to him and for some of the anger to fade before he said quietly. "We should go check on Mabel."

Evelyn sighed, the reminder of her distraught sister chasing away the rest of the ire. "Okay, let's go."

They walked into the attic to find Mabel hiding in her sweater on the floor.

Evelyn gasped softly, knowing Mabel had to be pretty upset to hide in her sweater.

Dipper echoed Evelyn. "Oh no. Mabel…"

"Mabel's not here. She's in sweater town." Mabel mumbled sadly.

Evelyn started walking forward to Mabel as Dipper continued to attempt damage control.

"Are you gonna come _out_ of sweater town?" Dipper asked.

Mabel whined pitifully, shaking her head from under the sweater.

"Oh, Mabel." Evelyn crouched down and hugged Mabel close, feeling horrible for her younger sister's plight.

Mabel snuggled closer into her sister's embrace, not leaving her sweater. After watching Mabel with sympathy for another minute, Dipper became determined to stop the whole Gideon problem.

"Alright, enough is enough. If you can't break up with Gideon, I'll do it for you."

" _We'll_ do it for you." Evelyn corrected as Mabel poked her head out of her sweater, still in Evelyn's arms.

"You will?" Mabel asked hopefully.

Dipper nodded as Evelyn smiled encouragingly. "Of course we will. We wouldn't let our favourite sister deal with a clingy ten year old by herself, right?" Evelyn said.

Mabel dragged Evelyn up so that she could hug both Evelyn and Dipper, practically jumping for joy. "Oh thank you thank you thank you!"

Dipper sighed. "Alright."

Evelyn wasn't completely alright with breaking the news to Gideon this way. She personally believed that he would take it better from Mabel herself than from her and Dipper. But, she knew how upset Mabel was, and she didn't want her sister to be in the state she was currently in any longer than necessary. She promised Mabel she would break up with Gideon for her, and she intended to keep that promise.

Besides, Gideon was just a kid. What was the worst that could happen?

 **-DaLD-**

 **Evelyn really needs to learn not to stay stuff like 'what's the worst that could happen?' She's basically jinxing herself. ;)**

 **I hope you guys enjoyed the few Wendy and Evelyn moments in this chapter! I'm basically setting the scene for the Inconveniencing and what Wendy and Evelyn's relationship will be throughout the show. From day one of writing this, I always saw Wendy becoming good, if not best, friends with the older teen.**

 **I added that scene where Bill indirectly mentions that makeup would make Evelyn look weird because Bill, despite him being an 'all powerful, omnipotent being', lacks the knowledge of human decency, as shown in some moments in the show. It just shows that despite the fact that Bill claims to be incredibly intelligent, he still has moments that show how inhuman he is. But Evelyn is definitely going to work on that in the future.**

 **I apologize in advance for any spelling mistakes in this chapter. I wrote this in a rush, since I just found out I'll be going away all weekend and won't be able to poste any new chapters until next week. I have a question to ask of you guys though; do you want me to write chapters sometimes just showing moments of development between Evie and the other minor characters? Please let me know!**

 **I would thank XxIV-ILLUSIONISTxX and JayFan67 for wishing me luck on my exams; it really meant a lot to me! And they went well, so now I can let go of my stress and focus more on this story and my job.**

 **Please favourite, follow and/or review, and a HUGE thank you to everyone who has already done so! You guys are absolutely fantastic! PM me if you have any questions about the story, and no flames, please! –Aria**

 **Have an awesome weekend, you amazing people!**

 **(I don't own Gravity Falls**


	14. Chapter XIII: THTRTM (part 3)

Evelyn had driven them up to The Club, a fancy restaurant that Gideon had chosen for his new date with Mabel. As she parked, she warned Mabel to stay outside and wait for them to come out, something Mabel gladly did.

Once they entered the posh restaurant, Evelyn whispered to Dipper, "Let me break it to him. I have more experience, so I'll be gentler about it."

Dipper looked relieved. "Okay. Thanks."

They approached the large booth that Gideon waited for Mabel in, and Dipper cleared his throat to attract Gideon's attention.

Gideon looked up, his face falling briefly when he didn't see Mabel, before schooling his features. "Oh. Dipper and Evelyn Pines, how are you? You look good, you look good."

"Thank you. You look nice as well." Evelyn felt surprisingly nervous and awkward to tell Gideon, especially since she could see through his fake pleasantries. "Look, Gideon, we need to talk." She tried to make her voice sound kinder to make him feel better. "Mabel sent us here to say that she can't come tonight. She… wanted us to tell you that she isn't interested in you romantically, though she'd still like to be your friend. You just… came on too strong with your affections, I guess. No offense."

Gideon's eye twitched. "So what you're saying is… you two have come between us." His eye twitched again, slightly alarming Evelyn. If he threw a tantrum…

Dipper cut in, seeing how uncomfortable his sister was. "You're not gonna like, freak out or anything, are ya?" he asked Gideon.

Gideon looked sinister for a moment, before smiling brightly, his Southern charm façade slipping back on. "Of course not. These things happen. Bygones, you know."

"We're really sorry about all of this." Evelyn said sincerely.

"So… Okay cool." fumbled Dipper awkwardly. "Then again, sorry man, but uh, hey, thumbs up. Huh?" they backed away, sending him apologetic smiles.

Once they got close enough to the door, they bolted, almost flying out the door in their eagerness to get away from the awkward situation.

If they'd looked back, they would have seen Gideon get a sinister look on his face as he said at a whisper. "Thumbs up indeed, my friends."

-DaLD-

Once they saw Mabel waiting for them, Dipper and Evelyn slowed down to a calm walk, not wanting their sister to know how creepy they thought Gideon was.

The moment they stopped beside her, Mabel expectedly demanded answers. "How'd it go? Was he mad? Did he try to read your minds with his psychic powers?" Mabel asked, concerned.

Dipper was quick to assuage his twin's fears. "Don't worry Mabel, he's just a kid. He doesn't have any powers."

Evelyn smiled reassuringly. "I'm sure he'll be fine Mabel. He doesn't seem like the type to hold a grudge too long, anyway."

They all shared an accomplished smile and got into the car, Evelyn driving them back to the Shack.

-DaLD-

A few hours later, in the Gleeful household, Gideon was glaring angrily into the mirror of his vanity. "Evelyn and Dipper Pines, you don't know what you've done!"

He clutched his amulet, which began to glow, and suddenly the candles started to levitate, surrounded by a strange blue light. All the light bulbs on his vanity exploded one by one as all the other objects in his now dark room began to levitate objects onto the ground.

Bud Gleeful, Gideon's father, opened up the door to his son's room upon hearing the crashing noises, and began to scold his son. "Gideon Charles Gleeful, clean up your room this instant!"

"I CAN BUY AND SELL YOU, OLD MAN!" Gideon screamed, looking crazy.

Bud paused for a moment before shrugging. "…Fair enough." He left, closing the door and leaving Gideon alone in the dark.

Gideon stared softly at all the pictures of Mabel that were on the door, his eyes stopping at an image of Mabel with her two siblings. Dipper was posing on the left side and Mabel on the right, with Evelyn standing between them, looping an arm around each of their shoulders.

Gideon glared at the picture, and using his amulet, burned away Dipper and Evelyn's side of the photo, leaving Mabel smiling in the picture, her sister's disembodied arm still around her shoulder.

-DaLD-

Meanwhile, Evelyn was having trouble sleeping. Though she'd gone to bed a while ago, she couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong.

After staring at the ceiling for who knows how long, Evelyn rolled over, resolutely deciding to sleep, only to still as a sudden feeling of overwhelming dread flooded her.

' _ **Did you feel that?**_ ' Bill asked, for once not sounding perpetually amused or sarcastic.

Evelyn shuddered, before nodding. 'Yeah. What was that?' she thought, hoping out of anyone, Bill would know.

' _ **That,**_ ' he said, ' _ **was a sign that you seriously screwed something up.**_ '

She would have thought he was joking had his tone not been so serious. Clutching her necklace for comfort, Evelyn curled up tighter in her bed, hoping to shake off the feeling that something was about to go horribly, horribly wrong.

-DaLD-

The siblings were playing with Soos in the yard the next morning. Soos carefully tucked a pillow under his shirt and yelled, "Hit me, dude!"

The three charged at his stomach and bounced off, laughing.

"Feels good." Soos said, unperturbed.

"I'm so glad everything's back to normal!" Mabel exulted, smiling happily.

They paused when they heard the phone ring. "Your turn." Mabel and Evelyn chorused, grinning.

"Your turn." Dipper said only a moment after them, before groaning at his misfortune. "Aw, man…"

Dipper walked off to answer the phone and Evelyn faintly heard Dipper pick up and say "Hello?"

She and Mabel continued to bounce off Soos, though Evelyn could still hear Dipper's half of the conversation.

"Oh, hey man. Sorry for accusing you of murder last week." She heard Dipper say.

'Is he talking to… Toby?' Evelyn thought, puzzled. 'But why would Toby Determined be calling us?'

Now curious, she focused on Dipper's conversation.

There was a pause, before Dipper exclaimed excitedly. "Oh, finally! I thought nobody would ever ask! I have notes and theories!" There was another pause as he listened. "Uh huh, huh." He sounded as he presumably wrote an address down. "412 Gopher Road. Tonight? Got it. Yeah, don't worry, I'll bring Evelyn."

Dipper hung up and walked back outside to his curious sister.

"What was that about?" Evelyn asked, having heard her name and wanted to know what he'd signed her up for.

"It was Toby Determined. He wants to interview me about the strange events in town." Dipper explained, excitement practically radiating off of him.

"That's great!" Evelyn exclaimed, genuinely happy for her brother as Mabel continued jumping against Soos' stomach. "What did you say my name for?"

"Well, Toby said I need to have a guardian with me, someone who's older than me, in order to be interviewed."

"So you volunteered me? _Without_ asking?" Evelyn asked, arching her eyebrow.

Dipper looked down, feeling as though he was being scolded. "…Yeah. So… you're not coming then?"

Evelyn dropped the stern act and laughed at the absurdity of his question, ruffling his hair. "Of course I'm coming. Just ask next time, ya know?"

He beamed at her. "Thank you! Oh, I'm so happy that somebody else noticed how weird this town is! I thought it was only us."

They shared a smile and joined in on Mabel's game once more, Evelyn steadfastly ignoring the bad feeling in her gut.

-DaLD-

That night, Evelyn and Dipper stared at the warehouse the address had led them to dubiously.

They'd followed Toby's directions, Evelyn watching in apprehension as they got farther and farther away from civilization, until they reached the warehouse at the end of the abandoned road.

After trying to look through the window, Dipper shrugged and hesitantly opened the giant doors.

They walked in a few feet before stopping, seeing nothing but a chair in the middle of the room and boxes everywhere.

Dipper called out "Hello?", his voice echoing through the warehouse.

They turned to leave when they got no response, only to see the door slam shut on its own. They both ran to the door, Dipper banging on them as Evelyn tried to forcefully pull them open, only to turn around as the lights turned on one by one.

The chair in the center of the room swiveled around to face them, revealing Gideon, who was stroking the hair of a stuffed version of himself.

Evelyn wrinkled her nose. 'It's like a narcissistic version of the classic villain pose.'

' _ **Do you have any idea how much trouble you're in?!**_ ' Bill yelled. ' _ **I can feel his power from in your head!**_ '

This made Evelyn pause and regard Gideon with new, wary eyes, and push her brother behind her slightly.

"Hello, friends." He said, sounding threatening.

Dipper, who hadn't figured out what was bothering his sister, groaned when he saw the ten year old. "Ughh, Gideon."

"Evelyn and Dipper Pines." Gideon said evenly. "How long have you been livin' in this town? A week, two? You like it here? Enjoy the scenery?"

"What do you want from us, man?" Dipper asked, annoyed trying to get past his sister, who refused to let him pass.

"Listen carefully, boy. You too, _dear_ Evelyn. This town is full of secrets you two couldn't begin to comprehend!"

"Is this about Mabel?" Evelyn asked incredulously. It seemed she _was_ wrong; this kid _could_ hold a grudge.

"Evelyn told you Mabel's not into you!" Dipper exclaimed.

"LIAR!" Gideon screamed, losing his cool. "YOU TWO turned her against me!"

Gideon clutched his amulet and stalked threateningly towards the two, still ranting. "She was my peach dumpling!"

Dipper started to feel nervous, holding his hands up in surrender as he backed away slowly, Evelyn still in front of him. "Uh, you okay, man?"

' _ **Little Bird…!**_ ' Bill warned, and Evelyn tensed her body in time for Gideon to levitate her and her brother and throw them into a pile of merchandise.

Evelyn managed to get behind Dipper as they were thrown so that she took the brunt of the fall. "Ow…" she whimpered, clutching her sore head.

' _ **He's not done with you two. Get out now! Find another way out, Little Bird!**_ ' Bill yelled.

'The only other way out is through the window and off the cliff!' she snapped back.

" _Howdy!_ " a Gideon toy exclaimed as it fell from a box.

"Readin' minds isn't all I can do." Gideon said menacingly.

Dipper looked over at his bruised sister and tried to scramble back, away from Gideon. "But-but you're a fake."

"What's your game? You couldn't be born with this power, Gideon." Evelyn said, but was ignored by Gideon.

"Oh tell me, Dipper: is this fake?" he proceeded to levitate all the merchandise in front of their disbelieving eyes.

Gideon started laughing evilly, and chucked merchandise at them, forcing them to run around just to avoid getting hit. As Evelyn and Dipper paused to catch their breath, Gideon laughed once more and moved the cabinet that was behind the siblings to smash them.

Evelyn quickly grabbed her brother's hand and pulled them both out of the way, hitting the wall as they escaped certain death. Evelyn was having trouble focusing on the attacks due to the steady stream of curses Bill was angrily spouting, some human words and some she'd never heard before.

"Oh my gosh, he's really trying to kill us." Evelyn whispered, her fear spiking at the realization as she rubbed her bruised shoulder.

' _ **All the more reason to GET OUT OF THERE, LITTLE BIRD!**_ ' Bill shouted. ' _ **He's small, knock him out or beat him up if you have to!**_ '

Dipper heard what Evelyn had said and felt as surge of anger for Gideon. Who was this little kid, to hurt his older sister and him for no real reason? They didn't deserve this! "Grunkle Stan was right about you, you ARE a monster!" Dipper shouted angrily.

"Your sister will be mine!" Gideon shouted back obsessively as he stood before their crumpled forms. He pulled the string of one of his dolls, making it laugh evilly.

Evelyn winced, feeling something trickle down her face, only to realize it was blood from a cut on her forehead. Dipper, who saw the blood as well, was enraged as he slowly got up while Gideon was distracted, grabbing a bat in the process. Evelyn struggled and got up as well, not wanting her brother to face the surprisingly powerful ten year old by himself.

Gideon was focusing on his doll, talking to it in a cooing tone, "Who's a cute little guy? You are!"

The toy answered him. "No, you are!"

Dipper raised the bat and shouted, charging at Gideon with Evelyn on his heels. Gideon turned to them and made the siblings levitate, Dipper dropping his bat as they froze midair.

' _ **Why would Pine Tree shout?! He could have had the brat if he hadn't decided to be a Neanderthal and shout!**_ ' Bill spat angrily in her mind. Evelyn tried to ignore him as she struggled against her invisible bonds.

"Gideon, she was never going to date you! I told you that!" Evelyn yelled at him, hoping it would get through the ten year old's thick skull.

"That's a lie!" he shrieked hysterically, before glancing at two boxes of 'Gideon Lamb Shears' that were by his feet. "And I'm gonna make sure you _never_ lie to me again, _friends_."

Gideon slowly levitated the lamb shears towards the two, making them struggle even more.

Evelyn stared at the sharp lamb shears in horror as they got closer and closer, tears springing up in her eyes.

She glanced at her brother for a moment, trying to give him a reassuring look, before closing her eyes, trying to stop the tears from forming.

'I'm scared, Bill.' She whispered in her head, her body shaking.

Her necklace warmed against her skin, giving her a feeling of comfort and safety, as though arms were wrapping around her. ' _ **It'll be okay, Little Bird.**_ ' Bill said, his tone uncharacteristically soft, almost soothing.

The doors suddenly slammed open, shocking all of them. Evelyn looked on as Mabel walked in with a determined look, and she felt a mixture of hope and horror, the two warring inside her.

"Gideon! We have to talk!" she said steadfastly.

Gideon instantly dropped the shears and turned to Mabel, looking guilty. "M-Mabel. My marshmalla." He stuttered nervously. "What are you doing here?"

Behind him, Evelyn and Dipper breathed a sigh of relief, sharing grateful looks.

"I'm sorry Gideon, but I can't be your marshmallow. I needed to be honest and tell you that myself." Mabel said, finally doing what she needed to do.

Evelyn looked at her sister, proud at how Mabel was growing up, before she and Dipper began choking as Gideon squeezed his amulet.

"I-I don't understand." He squeezed even tighter, making Evelyn struggle to breathe midair, twitching.

As he was choked, Dipper tried to warn Mabel off. "Uh, Mabel?! This probably isn't the best time to be brutally honest with him!"

Mabel seemed to ignore her brother's advice and continued speaking. "Hey, but we can still be makeover buddies, right? Wouldn't you like that?" she asked placatingly.

"Really?" Gideon asked hopefully, stepping closer to Mabel.

Mabel looked down at his amulet and exclaimed angrily; "No, not really!" she tore off his amulet, making Dipper and Evelyn fall down with a loud thud. "You were like, attacking my brother and sister, what the heck?!"

Evelyn rubbed her sore body and got up as Gideon tried to grab his amulet, crying out, "My tie! Give it back!"

Mabel tossed the amulet to Dipper, who Evelyn had helped up. Dipper caught it and began gloating. "Ha! Not so powerful without _this_ , are you?"

Gideon screamed and charged at Dipper, forcing him to drop the amulet, but the momentum Gideon had built up made them crash through the window. Evelyn had grabbed Dipper's arm as he was pushed, and fell out of the window as well, hearing her sister cry out, "Dipper! Evie!"

Her name was echoed in Evelyn's head as Bill shouted 'EVELYN!', surprise, fear, and some other unidentified emotion in his voice.

The three screamed as they fell, before Gideon and Dipper started slapping each other mid-air. They stopped fighting when they realized how close they were to falling to their death. Evelyn, thinking quickly, grabbed Dipper and wrapped herself around him to shield him from the impact as he and Gideon screamed. She squeezed her eyes shut, preparing for the pain.

'Goodbye, Bill.' She thought.

She felt their descent stop when they were only feet off of the ground, and opened her eyes only to see the familiar blue glow from the amulet encasing them.

She looked above them, spotting Mabel holding the amulet and levitating down to the trio. Mabel stopped in front of Gideon and looked him in the eye.

"Listen Gideon, it's over. I will never, ever date you." She said sternly.

"Yeah!" Dipper echoed, before Mabel let them go and they dropped onto the ground.

Evelyn groaned in pain as Dipper landed on top of her. Dipper winced and jumped off of her. "Sorry Evie. Are you alright?" he asked in concern as he helped his sister up.

"I'm fine." Evelyn sighed. "Just relieved to be alive."

Mabel threw the amulet to the ground, breaking it and causing a blue cloud in the shape of a skull to rise from the destroyed amulet.

"MY POWERS!" Gideon shrieked, before scrambling up and backing away from them slowly. "Oh, this isn't over. This isn't the last you'll see of wittle… ol' me…" he walked into the dark forest, quickly disappearing from sight.

Once the siblings were sure that Gideon wasn't coming back, they immediately group hugged, squeezing each other tight.

Mabel spoke in a whisper, tearing up slightly. "I thought you guys were going to die. It was so high up and you were screaming…" Mabel broke off, clutching them closer.

Evelyn and Dipper shared a look before hugging Mabel tighter.

"Well, we're fine now. Right, Dipper?" Evelyn reassured, keeping her voice low and soothing.

"Yeah Mabel. We're okay; you saved us. That was some awesome power using you did back there." Dipper told her encouragingly.

"Really?" she mumbled, wiping her eyes.

"Really. You were like, a superhero or something. Super Mabel!" Dipper joked and Mabel gave a watery laugh.

"Alright you two, we should head back before Grunkle Stan worries about us." Evelyn said, pulling them up.

She winced as they began walking, causing her siblings to look at her in concern.

"Are you okay?" they asked, their worry seeping through their tone.

"I'm fine, I'm fine, just sore. I'm black and blue all over." Evelyn smiled encouragingly. "Whoever gets to the end of the road last is Gideon's hair comb!"

Mabel and Dipper immediately raced down the road, trying not to be last as they laughed.

Once they were gone, Evelyn let her smile drop, pain etched across her features. She was in more pain from this incident than she'd let them realize. She didn't want them to feel guilty as she knew they would if they knew. Mabel would feel responsible, since she'd been the one who couldn't break up with Gideon in the first place, and Dipper would feel guilty because most of her cuts and bruises were caused by trying to keep him safe. But Evelyn merely saw this as her doing her sisterly duty, watching out for her siblings no matter the consequences for herself.

Another thing had been bothering her as well. Bill, who usually talked her ear off, hadn't said a word since her fall. She tentatively spoke in her head. 'Bill?' she questioned.

When she didn't get a response, she started to worry. Though she'd never admit it to Bill (because she knew how egotistical he was), she had gotten used to his presence in her mind and his near constant commentary. Without it, her head felt… empty, as though it was missing something.

'Bill?!' she panicked. 'Bill, are you there?!'

She heard his voice, making her feel relieved for a moment, before she realised he was talking quietly, almost in a whisper.

'What did you say?' she questioned, suddenly feeling nervous.

' _ **I said, don't you**_ _ **ever**_ _ **say goodbye to me again. You can't say goodbye, because you can't leave…**_ ' he sounded angry, but she could hear that underneath it, there was something she couldn't identify. Was it grief?

Her eyes softened. 'I'm sorry for worrying you.'

' _ **I wasn't worried.**_ He scoffed, though they both knew he was lying. ' _ **It's just, if you're gone, who will I annoy then?**_ '

She smiled softly, and began walking to catch up to the twins. Bill's voice, however, stopped her again. ' _ **But seriously, promise me you won't do something that stupid again.**_ ' He spoke quietly, but his tone was stern.

Evelyn's smile saddened. 'Bill, I'm sorry, but I can't promise that. I would do anything to save my family, no matter what. Family comes first.' She recited.

She heard him sigh. ' _ **You really care about those humans, huh.**_ '

'Yeah, I do.' She smiled once more, resuming her walk.

' _ **I guess I can't stop you. But be prepared, Little Bird. The moment I get into your world, I'll lock you in a closet if I have to, just to make you stop your idiotic pastimes.**_ '

'I'd like to see you try.' She joked.

Bill's echoing laughter rang in her head.

Evelyn was halfway down the road when realization struck. 'Bill, when I… fell, did you call me Evelyn?' she asked, surprise leaking into her thoughts.

' _ **Yeah, I did. What about it?**_ ' he said defensively, trying to make up for the moment of weakness he'd shown her.

'It's just… that's the first time you've ever called me by my name, that's all.' She mused, looking up at the dark sky.

' _ **Well, don't get too used to it,**_ _ **Little Bird**_ _ **. I'm quite partial to my nickname for you. Let's save your real name for life threatening situations, alright?**_ '

She laughed aloud at his response and quickened her pace when she heard her siblings call her name, ignoring the aching that was coming from her entire body.

At the moment, she was just grateful to be alive, bruises and voice in her head included.

-DaLD-

They'd collapsed on the sofa the moment they got back, too tired to bother taking care of their cuts and bruises, though the twins had expressed their worry for the cut on Evelyn's head.

She'd quickly tried to reassure them, though Bill was annoyingly commenting on the fact that she _should_ clean it up and get it checked out. She was annoyed that Bill Cipher, of all people, was siding with her siblings on anything.

'He must be more concerned than I thought.' She mused, rubbing her sore arm.

They barely looked up when Grunkle Stan came back, oddly enough carrying a sad clown painting. Stan sighed, looking at the painting morosely. "I coulda had it all."

He turned around to look at the mess that was the Pines siblings. "What the heck happened to you three?" he asked gruffly.

"Gideon." Dipper sighed.

"Gideon." Mabel echoed.

"Gideon." groaned Evelyn, wincing as she moved slightly.

"Gideon." Stan growled, hatred seeping into his tone. "Yeah, the little mutant 'swore vengeance' on the whole family. Ha, I guess he's gonna try to nibble my ankles or something."

Dipper perked up. "Oh, yeah. Yeah, how's he gonna destroy us now, huh? Try to guess what number I'm thinking of?" he laughed.

"He'll _never_ guess what number _I'm_ thinking of." Mabel paused to build up suspense. "NEGATIVE EIGHT! No one would guess a negative number."

They all laughed at Mabel's excitement.

"Yeah, he's tiny. What harm can he do?" Evelyn mused aloud, smirking at the thought of Gideon hopping from foot to foot to try to hit her.

"Uh oh." Stan mock panicked. "He's plannin' our destruction right now!" Stan laughed and lay down on top of the siblings, crushing them into the sofa.

They laughed as Stan playfully ruffled their hair as 'torture', the siblings fake struggling, trying to protect their hair. Their fun was cut short when Evelyn winced, clearly in pain.

Stan noticed and carefully got off them. "Jeez, what did he do, attack you with a tractor? The little runt really did a number on you." He squinted, staring at Evelyn's forehead. "Is that blood?"

"I'm fine. I'll just get cleaned up. I can bandage you up too, Dipper."

As Dipper and Mabel got up to follow Evelyn, Stan called, "Tomorrow we should go to the doctor's. Just to check, ya know." At Evelyn's knowing smile, he added defensively, "I can't have one of my employees not in top shape. It's bad for business. Plus, your parents would kill me."

She smiled at her uncle, seeing that despite his hard exterior, he was secretly a huge softie." Thanks, Grunkle Stan. Goodnight." She called over her shoulder as she began walking back to her room, the twins in tow.

She heard Stan's gruff reply as she walked up the stairs. Once they reached the second floor bathroom, Evelyn took out the first aid box and got everything set up expertly, cleaning their cuts and tending to herself and Dipper with ease.

As she cleaned up a scrape on Dipper's arm, Bill's voice rang out in her head, his tone slightly curious. ' _ **How did you become so decent at taking care of small wounds? You're not half bad, for a young human.**_ '

'Gee, thanks.' Evelyn thought sarcastically, before answering his question. 'When they were little, Mabel and Dipper were always doing crazy things and getting hurt, so I learnt how to properly tend to the injured. Plus, as a kid, I was interested in nursing. I was also pretty adventurous, so I'd get into situations where I'd get hurt, and I guess I wanted to take care of myself. I've always been an independent little brat.' She mused.

' _ **Do you still want to be a nurse?**_ ' Bill asked, surprisingly interested.

Evelyn mentally shrugged. 'Not sure. There are so many possibilities; it's hard to choose my path now. Teaching could be nice too.'

' _ **There are more possibilities than human brains can imagine.**_ ' Bill said mysteriously.

Though curious, Evelyn chose not to comment. He would just ignore her question anyway.

She finished up and, exhausted, the three crawled into bed. The siblings were asleep the moment their heads hit the pillows, feeling happy now that they were out of danger at last.

-DaLD-

Gideon was sitting by his newly restored vanity in his room, working on making dolls of the Pines family, replicating all of them, including the Mystery Shack.

He began playing with the Mabel doll, mimicking her voice badly. "Gideon, I still love you. If only my family weren't in the way."

He then picked up the Stan doll. "Look at me, I'm old, and I'm smelly."

He played with the Evelyn doll, mimicking a girly voice as he glared at it. "Ooh, look at me, I'm so _intelligent_ and _pretty_ , with my freaky red eyes."

He finally picked up the Dipper doll and spoke with a nasally tone. "Hey, what are you gonna do without your precious amulet?" he continued in his own voice, as if he were answering the question. "Oh, you'll see boy…"

He grabbed a book, the page turned to a part about a 'Mystic Amulet', before he closed it revealing the cover, which had the emblem of a golden hand with six fingers. The journal had the number two emblazoned on it.

"You'll see…" repeated Gideon in an ominous whisper.

 **-DaLD-**

 **So, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! It's a little late, since I planned to have this done yesterday, but I was busy, so I could only update today. I decided a while back that at the beginning, Evelyn would pity Gideon and feel for the kid, but after this attack on her and her siblings, she really won't go easy on him in the future.**

 **Evelyn had some pretty serious injuries because I honestly think that she'd go out of her way to protect her brother, and that includes taking unnecessary blows. It also shows you guys just how far Evelyn will go to protect her family, even at her own expense. Let's just hope the future is kind to her…**

 **You also got to see that Evelyn's bond with Bill is getting stronger already. But will that end up being a good thing? Another question to ask yourself is: why is Bill being so kind to her? Why does he care whether she lives or dies? I'd love to hear your theories!**

 **And one little spoiler on Evelyn's efficiency with bandaging wounds? She didn't only get hurt by playing around by herself. :)**

 **So I hope you all have a fantastic day and a huuuugggee thank you to everyone that has been supporting this story so far. You guys are incredible!**

 **Please favourite, follow and/or review! My next update will hopefully be this week, so keep an eye out for that! No flames, please, and pardon my spelling mistakes. – Love, Aria**

 **I don't own Gravity Falls**


	15. Chapter XIV: The Inconveniencing (p 1)

A few days after the Gideon incident, Evelyn was sweeping the floor of the Mystery Shack's Gift Shop as Mabel, Dipper and Wendy relaxed.

She'd gone to the doctor's the morning after being attacked by Gideon, as per her uncle's orders, and found out that she'd gotten a concussion and that she'd need to be woken at night every few hours for her own safety.

Bill had taken the job of waking her up, unbeknownst Evelyn's family. He took great pleasure in waking her up randomly, using jump scares to shock her awake.

Evelyn was not amused by Bill's game, but whenever she called him out on it, he always defended himself by saying innocently, ' _ **I'm doing it for your health, Little Bird.**_ '

She personally thought he was doing as revenge for worrying him when she fell. Bill was petty like that.

Evelyn was broken from her thoughts by Dipper, who absentmindedly asked his twin a question as he read. "Mabel, do you believe in ghosts?"

"I believe that you're a big dork! Ha ha ha!" Mabel retorted, laughing as she spun on the top of a souvenir globe. Dipper casually put his pencil on the globe, stopping it and causing Mabel to fall down.

He then turned to Evelyn, whose eyes were full of mirth. "What about you, Evie? Do you believe in ghosts?"

Evelyn pondered it for a moment, before replying, "Well, I believe that there's a lot that we don't know, especially about death, so it's possible." She smirked. "Besides, we're in Gravity Falls. If there are gnomes and cursed wax monsters, then why not ghosts?"

Dipper smiled at her answer, and was about to continue his questioning, when Stan walked in, interrupting him.

"Soos! Wendy! Evelyn!" he barked.

Soos came running, panting as he stopped in front of Stan. "What's up, Mr. Pines!"

Wendy lazily walked up to stand beside Soos, waiting for her boss to order them to do something. Evelyn calmly walked up to stand next to Wendy, curiosity written on her face. "Yes, Grunkle Stan?"

"I'm heading out. You three are gonna wash the bathrooms, right?" he commanded rather than asked.

The three young adults saluted. "Yes, sir!" Soos exclaimed.

"Absolutely not!" Wendy replied with equal enthusiasm.

"Not going to happen!" Evelyn said brightly, smiling beatifically.

Stan laughed. "You stay out of trouble!" he called as he left, leaving the five alone.

Wendy walked over to a curtain in the back of the room, and addressed. "Hey guys! What's this?" she pulled the curtain back, revealing a ladder. "A secret ladder to the roof?"

Soos looked nervous. "Uh, I don't think Mr. Pines would like that." He glanced at Evelyn, looking for support." "Don't you think so, Evie?"

Evelyn shrugged, smirking lightly. "What he doesn't know won't hurt him, Soos."

Wendy laughed and nodded at Evelyn's words. Seeing that Soos was still nervous, she decided to play with him. With a theatrically nervous look on her face, she reached out to touch the ladder. "Huh?"

Soos started to panic. "Uhhhh."

"Huh?" Wendy brought her hand closer, spurred on by Evelyn's quiet snickers.

"You're freaking me out, dude!" he exclaimed, sweating.

Dipper looked between his big sister and Wendy for guidance. "Can we actually go up there?" he asked cautiously.

Wendy opened her mouth, but it was Evelyn who answered. "Of course we can, Dippingsauce!" she grinned playfully, heading towards the ladder.

"Roof time! Roof time!" Wendy chanted, trying to get the twins pumped.

"Roof time! Roof Time!" the twins and Evelyn took up the chant as they climbed up the ladder.

Once they were on the roof, Wendy led them to her spot, Evelyn walking beside her.

"Alright, check this out!" Wendy exclaimed, throwing her arms out. On the roof, there was an umbrella with two lawn chairs in its shade, a cooler beside one of them, as well as a radio and a book. There was a bucket a little farther off.

"Did you put all this stuff up here?" Dipper asked Wendy in awe.

"I may or may not sneak up here during work, all the time, every day." Wendy said proudly.

Dipper looked at Evelyn as she lounged on one of the lawn chairs, looking completely at ease.

"Evie?" he asked, realization dawning on him. "You've come up here before?"

"Yeah, of course. I'm not always in the Gift Shop, am I?" she winked. "I even moved this lawn chair and a book of mine up here to relax."

"I've invited Evie up here a bunch of times. She's pretty chill to hang out with." Wendy smiled at her new friend, who grinned back.

"Show them the targets." Evelyn urged, grin still in place.

Wendy turned to a bucket and picked up one of the pinecones inside, chucking it at a target on the totem pole. "Yes!"

Evelyn calmly got up and threw another pinecone, hitting the bullseye. "Sweet!" she cried.

' _ **Good aim, Little Bird.**_ ' Bill complimented, something that she found was rare of him.

'Thanks.' She replied.

"Cool!" Dipper cried in awe.

Mabel scrambled over to the bucket. "Me first!"

They all took turns throwing pinecones until Dipper accidentally threw one at a car below, making the car alarm go off. He winced and blushed in embarrassment, refusing to meet his elder sister's reproachful gaze.

Wendy was unperturbed by Dipper's accident. "Jackpot! High five." Wendy lifted her hand up, grinning at Evelyn as the brunette gaze her friend a look that said 'don't encourage him'.

Dipper at first didn't move, only staring at Wendy, love-struck.

"Don't leave me hanging." Wendy said, oblivious.

Dipper quickly high-fived Wendy as Evelyn groaned internally.

' _ **What is it?**_ ' Bill asked, not having caught the look Dipper had on his face.

'Dipper's becoming a lovesick puppy for Wendy. Crap. This will _not_ end well.' Evelyn winced, imagining the future catastrophes.

' _ **Why not?**_ ' Bill asked, his voice both amused and curious.

'Well, other than the obvious age difference…' she began, but Bill cut her off.

' _ **Hey, what's wrong with a few years apart? That's nothing! We're**_ _ **trillions**_ _ **of years apart!**_ ' Bill exclaimed, sounding jokingly offended.

Evelyn internally rolled her eyes and ignored what he was insinuating, continuing as if he'd never spoken. '…other than that, Wendy probably won't notice Dipper, even if he's painfully obvious. Wendy's blind like that.'

' _ **Your friend's vision is impaired? No wonder she'll never notice Pine Tree!**_ ' Bill laughed maniacally at his own joke. Feeling Evelyn's annoyance, he continued. ' _ **Ha! Don't worry Little Bird, I'm only joking!**_ '

Evelyn huffed and focused on the others when a car honked.

"Oh hey, it's my friends!" Wendy exclaimed, looking down at the car.

The car pulled up and a hand waved out. "Wendy!" a male voice called, impatient.

Wendy paused and turned to Evelyn. "Hey Evie, do you want to come with? It's going to be epic!"

Evelyn shook her head, grinning at the redhead. "Not this time, thanks. Besides, _somebody's_ got to cover for you, right?"

Wendy laughed. "Thanks! You're the best, Eves." She was about to leave, but a sudden thought struck her. She turned to the twins. "Hey, you two aren't gonna tell Stan about this, are ya?" she knew that Evelyn wouldn't, since she would equally get in trouble for hanging out in the Spot so often. But the twins only just found out about, and they _were_ younger. Stan could pressure them…

Dipper, eager to please, mimed zipping his lips.

Wendy mimicked him with a smile. "Later!" With that, she jumped off the roof, using pine trees to land safely.

They saw Wendy safely get in the car before it went peeling off, probably to do something incredibly unsafe.

"Later Wendy!" Dipper nervously laughed, his voice cracking. "Heh heh heh! Good times!"

"Uh oh!" Mabel exclaimed, excitement gleaming in her eyes. She glanced at her sister. "Are you seeing what I'm seeing, Evie? Somebody's in love!" she crowed, Evelyn smirking at her brother's embarrassed expression.

Dipper scoffed, trying to brush it off. "Yeah, right! I just think Wendy's cool, okay? It's not like I lie awake at night thinking about her!"

Evelyn looked at him dubiously. "Okay then... if you're sure. Let's head downstairs before Grunkle Stan gets back, okay?"

-DaLD-

That night, Evelyn was lying awake in bed, having been rudely awakened by Bill.

'It's not that funny.' Evelyn grumbled as Bill laughed hysterically.

' _ **Your-your face!**_ ' another fit of laughter hit him. ' _ **That was hilarious! Who knew you were so scared of spiders?!**_ '

'I swear, if you _ever_ do that again, I will _never_ talk to you again, and I'll try to find a way to get you out of my head.' Evelyn threatened, silently fuming.

' _ **Hey, hey, let's not get carried away. Besides, you wouldn't get rid of me! You'd miss me too much!**_ ' when she didn't respond, he sighed. ' _ **Fine, I won't use a giant jumping spider next time!**_ '

She turned on her side, trying to get back to sleep, when she realized that her brother was still awake.

Dipper was lying with the blankets kicked off, staring intently at the ceiling. His eyes suddenly widened as he realized what he was doing. "Uh-oh."

Evelyn winced, feeling bad for her baby brother, as Bill laughed at Dipper's predicament. ' _ **Looks like little Pine Tree's in love!**_ ' he crowed, dissolving into manic laughter again.

-DaLD-

The next day, Mabel, Wendy and Evelyn were hanging around the counter of the Gift Shop. It was a slow day, so Mabel decided that some 'fun time' was in order.

Mabel turned on the stereo that she'd brought into the room, and cried out, "Random dance party for no reason!" she quickly began dancing, Wendy joining in.

"Go! Go! Go! Go!" Wendy chanted, before realizing Evelyn wasn't joining in. "What gives? Are you not going to join?"

Evelyn shook her head, amusement in her eyes when Mabel tried to force her sister, not breaking her dance pattern. "Come on Evie! Live a little! Dance like you're a dancing princess!"

Evelyn raised her eyebrow at her sister. "Mabel, I have two left when it comes to dancing, you know that. I'm only graceful when I'm fighting, and that took _years_ of practice."

"Aw, boo! We don't judge!" Wendy encouraged. "Join us! Just dance a little!"

Evelyn just shook her head. Seeing that the red-eyed was a lost cause, Wendy turned to Dipper, who was unsuccessfully acting as though he was working.

"Dipper!" Wendy shouted.

He jumped at her voice, throwing his clipboard before he caught it again. "Uh what, yes?"

' _ **Aww, Pine Tree's so adorably awkward when he's in love.**_ ' Bill jokingly cooed. Evelyn snorted in agreement.

"I don't really dance." Dipper replied, fidgeting awkwardly.

"Yeah, you do! Mom used to dress him up in a lamb costume and make him do…" Mabel leaned closer to conspirationally whisper to Wendy, "The _Lamby Dance_."

Dipper was mortified. He looked at Evelyn, desperate for backup, but when he saw the amused look in her eyes, he knew she wouldn't help, so he turned to Mabel. He whispered angrily. "Now is not the time to talk about the Lamby Dance!"

Evelyn smirked at Dipper as Wendy tried to hold in her laughter. "Lamb costume? Wow, is there like little ears and a tail or…?"

Dipper twitched nervously and fumbled for a response that would redeem herself. "Well uh, uh…"

Mabel, either unaware of her brother's embarrassment or ignoring it, pulled out a photo of a young Dipper in a lamb costume.

Evelyn quirking her brow in amusement. 'Where did she get the picture from? She doesn't have pockets…' Evelyn mused.

Mabel showed Wendy the picture, explaining, "Dipper would prance around and sing and song about grazing."

Dipper was silently making gestures for Mabel to shut up as he stood behind Wendy, only causing his sisters to become more amused by his predicament.

Dipper was saved by the phone, which beeped to attract Wendy's attention. "Hey, look at that! Quittin' time! The gang's waitin' for me." She looked back at Evelyn with a smile. "Hey Evie, you coming with?"

Evelyn shrugged, smiling as she grabbed her black windbreaker jacket and walked towards the red-head. She wasn't too sure how long they'd be out, and her t-shirt and shorts would hardly keep her warm later. "Sure, why not?"

As Wendy and Evelyn began to walk out, Dipper scrambled forward and called out, "Wait! Why don't I-or we- come with you?"

Wendy hesitated, rubbing her arm in discomfort and glancing at Evelyn. "Ooh…I don't know. My friends are pretty intense. How old did you two say you are?"

Dipper quickly spoke up for him and his twin, seeing Evelyn was about to respond. "We're thirteen! So technically a teen."

Evelyn sent Dipper a disapproving look as Wendy took his lie. "All right. I like your moxy, kid!" she smiled. "Let me get my stuff." With that, she left, Evelyn staying behind to stare at her brother.

Mabel sat on a stool and leaned against the counter, confused. "Since when are we thirteen? Is this a leap year?"

"Dipper." Evelyn said reproachingly. "It's not a good idea to lie to people, especially if it's about your age."

"Come on, Mabel, Evie." Dipper tried, chagrinned but determine to go through with his plan. "This is our chance to hang out with, you know, the cool kids. And Wendy and whatever." He added quickly.

Mabel jumped over to her brother excitedly. "I knew it! You love her!" she began to dance around Dipper, pointing at him as she sang, "Love love love love love!"

Dipper became annoyed with Mabel. "Oh hey, what's that?" he pointed away from her, feigning surprise.

Mabel turned to look in the direction he was pointing in. "Huh?"

Dipper took the opportunity to flip Mabel's hair over her face. Mabel tried clearing her mouth, which was full of her hair, making ridiculous sounds as she did so. "Bleh, bleh, bleh."

Evelyn, once she stopped laughing at her siblings' antics, turned to her brother and said with uncharacteristic seriousness; "Dipper, I just want you to be careful. Don't feel like you _have_ to try and fit in with these kids by doing anything they ask because you think Wendy will like it." She ruffled his hair. "Stay true to yourself, 'kay?"

Dipper smiled confidently at his sister. "No problem!"

-DaLD-

As they walked out and approached the stationary van with Wendy, the siblings took in the scene before them.

Two boys were holding a third, slightly overweight boy upside down, as an angsty looking teen tried to throw jelly beans into the boys' belly button. Beside the angsty one, was a girl texting rapidly on her phone, cheering with the others but rarely looking up.

Evelyn paused as she saw a yellow jelly bean roll by her feet, and grinned as an idea struck her. She picked it up and aimed quickly, before expertly throwing the jelly bean into the boy's belly button, surprising the others.

The teens looked around and saw Wendy and the Pines siblings, Evelyn still in her throwing position. She straightened up and grinned as Wendy, who was holding her own jelly bean, looked in shock back at Evelyn, before she mirrored the brunette's grin.

Evelyn was then greeted by a chorus of 'Evie!' or 'Sup, Evie?' from the group, before they went to greet the redhead as well. "Wendy!"

Wendy confidently strolled over to her friends, Evelyn trailing along after her and the twins taking up the rear, the twostarting to feel intimidated.

"Hey guys! These are my pals from work, Mabel and Dipper. And you all remember Evie." Wendy introduced.

"Sick throw, Evie!" the blonde teen said, making Evelyn smile.

Dipper watched as the other teens seemed to regard Evelyn with a look of admiration and intimidation. It took him a moment to realize that it was because Evelyn _was_ older than the others, making her the eldest out of all of them. He guessed being seventeen _did_ have its perks.

"I chewed my gum so it looks like a brain!" Mabel said by way of introduction. "BLAH!" she sounded as she stuck her tongue for the teens to see her gum, oblivious to the mildly grossed out looks the teens were giving her.

Dipper nervously tried to redeem himself and his twin. "She's not much for first impressions. Unlike this guy!" he pointed to himself, trailing off as he realized no one was laughing. "…this guy…" He winced as Evelyn motioned for her brother to stop speaking.

The angsty teen, who Evelyn knew was named Robbie, leaned against the van, rudely questioning, "So are you, like, babysitting, or-"

He was cut off not only by Wendy, but by Evelyn's glare. Out of all Wendy's friends whom Evelyn had gotten to know, she liked Robbie the least. He was rude, full of himself, and had made a point of calling her out on her strangely coloured eyes. He'd been weirded out by them and had publicly talked about it, which made Evelyn quickly dislike him. And now he was picking on her younger siblings, which was unforgivable in her books.

' _ **Oh, so**_ _ **he's**_ _ **the jerk that mentioned how weird your eyes were.**_ ' Bill commented, anger in his voice. He hadn't been there to see what Robbie had said, but Evelyn had filled Bill in, after some coaxing in the Mindscape that night.

Evelyn mentally nodded.

' _ **Well, I'd rather have red eyes than his disgusting tar-coloured ones.**_ ' Bill stated offhandedly. Evelyn smiled slightly, realizing that that was him trying to lift her spirits and compliment her in his own way.

"Come on, Robbie!" Wendy chastised, before going through introductions for the twins' sake. "Guys, this is Lee and Nate." She pointed to two guys, one blonde and the other one was darker skinned, as they punched each other and laughed.

"Tambry." Wendy gestured to the girl who was texting.

"Hey…" Tambry muttered in a monotone, not looking up from her cell.

"Thompson, who once ate a run over waffle for fifty cents." Wendy continued, turning to the overweight teen.

Thompson squirmed, looking uncomfortable. "Don't tell them that!"

Evelyn winced sympathetically for Thompson, feeling for the insecure teen.

"And Robbie." Wendy concluded, pointing to the angsty teen who was strumming his guitar. "You can probably figure him out."

Robbie turned to the twins, trying to pull off a 'cool' air. "Yeah, I'm the guy who spray-painted the water tower."

"Oh, you mean the big muffin!" Dipper exclaimed innocently.

Robbie looked personally affronted. "Um, it's a giant explosion."

Everyone turned to look in the direction of the water tower, the graffiti able to be seen from where they were standing.

"Hehe! Kinda does look like a muffin!" Lee pointed out, before he and Nate began laughing.

Evelyn herself snickered quietly and discreetly high-fived her bewildered brother before Robbie turned around, glaring at Dipper. His glare quickly faltered, however, when his glare was met with Evelyn's narrowed red eyes.

"Robbie," Evelyn casually said, he eyes glimmering. "I'd be a little more careful with bragging about spray-painting official property. It _is_ illegal, _buddy_." She smirked, not bothered by his renewed glare.

Wendy, unaware of what had just transpired, gestured to the van, opening the door. "Let's hurry it up, guys. I got big plans for tonight!"

Everyone climbed into the car, Evelyn pausing when she saw Dipper heading towards the passenger seat. He tried to open the door only to realize Robbie had beaten him there.

"Sorry kid, I'll ride shotgun alright?" Robbie said rudely and unapologetically.

Dipper shoulders slumped as he walked to the back. He was stopped by Evelyn, who looked into his eyes, her own staring softly at him.

"Dipper, don't worry about Robbie, okay? He's just naturally a jerk, especially when you hurt his pride." She told him as they got into the back.

Dipper smiled at his sister. "Thanks, Evie."

As they strapped in, Dipper turned to look curiously at his older sister. "So you've hung out with these guys before?"

Evelyn smiled. "A few times, yeah. It was awkward at first, since I was older than them and my eyes are weird, but I broke the ice pretty quickly."

Dipper frowned at his sister disapprovingly. "Evie, your eyes aren't weird. You were born with them."

"Yeah!" Mabel chipped in. "Besides, your eyes make you look unique! That way no one can copy _your_ style!"

Evelyn smiled at her siblings reassurances. "Thanks, you two."

They turned their attention to the front when Thompson spoke up from the front seat.

"Okay just, before we go, my mom said you guys aren't allowed to punch the roof anymore, so…" Thompson trailed off nervously.

There was a pause as everyone absorbed what he said, before they began punching the roof, chanting, "Thompson! Thompson! Thompson!"

The only ones who weren't punching the roof were the Pines siblings, who watched the scene play out with mild amusement. Evelyn watched as Thompson sighed dejectedly and started driving, and her heart pulled slightly for the poor pressured teen.

As they drove, Mabel reached over Evelyn to take a pen from Dipper. She uncapped it and quickly crossed out the 'you stink!' that was etched into the side of her door and wrote, 'You look nice today!' she looked at her work proudly.

"Ha! This is gonna blow someone's mind!" Mabel exclaimed, Evelyn shaking her head in amusement at her sister's antics.

"Mabel, you shouldn't write on people's cars. It's rude." Evelyn admonished lightly.

Dipper was not nearly as amused by Mabel. "Mabel, please!" he pleaded quietly.

Mabel's eyes got a mischievous glint in them. "What, am I embarrassing you in front of your new GIRLFRI-" she began to shout before Dipper quickly covered her mouth with his hand, muffling her.

He pulled back his hand only a moment later, disgust written on his features. "Ugh! Did you just lick my hand?"

Evelyn stared disgustedly at his slobbered on hand, as Mabel shrugged calmly.

'Sometimes, I worry about her.' Evelyn thought half-jokingly.

' _ **I would too.**_ ' Bill commented.

Evelyn was struck by a sudden thought. 'Oh, did I change the channel on the TV back to Stan's favourite before I left? I feel like I left it on that black and white old lady channel.' Evelyn paused, before shrugging. 'Eh, Grunkle Stan will be fine.'

She ignored Bill's snickers as she enjoyed the drive.

 **-DaLD-**

 **Hey guys! Sorry for the late update! My boss asked me to work extra hours last week and then I went to visit my grandmother's where there is currently no wifi, so this was the only time I could manage it. I hope you enjoyed this chapter!**

 **I plan on expanding the hateful relationship between Evelyn and Robbie in the future, though she won't really be involved in his and Dipper's rivalry, so that's a little hint about the future of this story. Bill will also have a bit of a grudge against Robbie for his attitude towards Evelyn.**

 **To those who are curious, Evelyn's outfit, under her simple black windbreaker, is a teal V-neck shirt and her usual jean shorts.**

 **So guys, I need your help. I'm trying to come up with a ship name, but I don't have too many ideas. All I've come up with so far is Bivelyn. Any ideas? I've also been thinking about adding little ciphers at the end for you guys to decode to get a little spoiler for the next episode. Would that be something you'd like?**

 **Anyway, thanks to the huge amount of support this story has gotten! It's really amazing to see that people are enjoying this!**

 **Please favourite, follow and/or review! The next update will be next week. Please pardon any grammar mistakes I may have missed, and see you guys later!**

 **Have an awesome evening! –Aria**

 **I don't own Gravity Falls**


	16. Chapter XV: The Inconveniencing (part 2)

By the time they got to their destination dusk had already set, giving the condemned convenience store on the other side of the fence a eerie aura.

"There it is fellas!" stated Wendy proudly. "The condemned Dusk 2 Dawn!"

Lee and Nate shared a look of anticipation. "Ha! Cool!"

"Neato!" Exclaimed Mabel, even though she had no real clue as to what they were doing.

Dipper wasn't as thrilled. "Why'd they shut it down, was it like a health code violation, or-" His nervous ramble was cut off by Nate.

"TRY MURDER!" Nate exclaimed.

Lee continued explaining it, trying to sound scary. "Some folks died in there and the place has been haunted ever since!"

"This town has such a colourful history!" Mabel commented brightly, gaining a look from her sister.

"So we're going into an old, condemned convenience store that may or may not be haunted? Well, that's brilliant!" Evelyn mumbled sarcastically. "Have these guys never seen a horror movie before?"

Dipper was starting to worry as well. "Wha… are you guys serious?"

"Yeah! We're all gonna die!" Wendy mimicked a panicked, high pitched tone before responding normally. "Chill out man! It's not as bad as it looks." Wendy punched Dipper's shoulder in a friendly way.

Despite their reassurances, Dipper shared a look with his older sister. Whatever was about to happen would most likely not end well.

-DaLD-

They all scaled the fence one by one, until the only two remaining was Lee and a frightened Dipper who was straddling the top of the fence, not moving.

"Come on, Dipper!" shouted Wendy encouragingly.

"It's alright Dip! I promise!" Evelyn added reassuringly, trying to get over her concern of their choice of location for Dipper's sake.

Though Evelyn saw Dipper relax slightly at her promise, he still pawed at the fence with his foot from the top of the fence, hesitating.

"Okay! Just… Gotta get a foothold…" Dipper stalled, his voice shaking slightly.

"Dude, your _twin sister_ did it!" Robbie called up rudely, pointing to Mabel, who was running in circles as she lay on the ground. He winced when someone slapped his arm.

Robbie rubbed the sore area and turned to see an innocent looking Evelyn staring in the opposite direction. He shot her a quick glare while she wasn't looking as Lee climbed up behind Dipper.

"Hey, you know what? Just... there you go." He picked Dipper up and lightly threw him over the fence.

Before he could slam into the ground, however, he was caught by Evelyn, landing safely in her outstretched arms. "You okay?" she asked, concern on her face as she carefully put him down, rubbing her arms slightly.

"Yeah. Thanks, Evie." Dipper smiled gratefully. He'd probably have been hurt by the fall if his sister's reflexes weren't as good as they were.

Lee jumped down behind them and spoke up sheepishly. "Ha! S-sorry dude!"

Lee's eyes widened when he was met with Evelyn's reproachful gaze. "Lee…" she warned threateningly.

Lee paled as he stuttered. "S-sorry E-Evie."

Nate laughed at his friends' terror. "Good job throwing Evie's brother off the fence, genius!"

"Your mom's a genius…" Lee mumbled, trying to regain his bravado.

Wendy cupped her eyes with her hands and pressed her face to the glass windows of the convenience store, and spoke in an awed voice. "Wow! This place is amazing!"

Evelyn copied Wendy's actions and peeked at the interior of the old, abandoned store. It was incredibly dark in there, and it looked like it was kept perfectly intact: food and all.

Robbie pulled unsuccessfully on the door handles, letting out a grunt of effort. "I think it's, it's stuck!"

"Let me take a crack at it!" Dipper offered helpfully, seeing Wendy's crest fallen look.

Robbie scoffed. "Oh yeah, I can't get in, but I'm sure Junior here is gonna break it down like Hercules!" he mocked.

"Come on, leave him alone. He's just a little kid." Wendy scolded, looking uncomfortable.

Evelyn looked at her brother sympathetically as she saw how her words had hurt his pride. Dipper's face suddenly became set with determination and he marched around the building, ignoring the confused looks of the group, a plan forming in his mind. He climbed on top of the dumpster and carefully got onto the roof, approaching the metal grating as he once more ignored the concerned cries coming from Wendy and her friends.

"Go Dipper! You can do it!" Evelyn called out encouragingly, understanding what he wanted to do.

Dipper, fueled on by his sister's support, began to punch the grating of the vents, his face never wavering from its determined shape.

"Go Dipper! Punch that metal thing!" Mabel took up her sister's cheers.

Dipper finally succeeded in breaking the grating by ramming his shoulder into it, and climbed in, disappearing from sight.

"Hey Dipper, take it easy!" Wendy called out worriedly, no longer being able to see the preteen.

"Who wants to bet he doesn't make it?" Robbie said tauntingly, smirking confidently.

"Who wants to bet that I'll punch you in the nose if you continue picking on my brother?" Evelyn retorted, causing Robbie to falter at the seriousness in her eyes.

Before things could escalate, Dipper walked out of the now-opened door and gestured for everyone to go inside, holding the door open.

As they all walked in most of them cheered for Dipper or commented about his interesting entrance choice.

"Good call inviting this little maniac!" Lee stated, walking past Dipper.

"Your new name is Dr. Funtimes!" Nate exclaimed, following his friend.

Mabel high-fived Dipper and Evelyn ruffled his hair as they walked past, their brother beginning to look smugger as the seconds passed.

As Wendy walked by, she lightly punched Dipper's shoulder. "Nice work!" she commented.

Dipper froze momentarily, before a warm feeling flooded through him and a smile lit his face. He quickly skipped in after the others, his ego fully restored. The door closed by itself behind him.

-DaLD-

The inside was even creepier than Evelyn had imagined. It was as if the store had been perfectly preserved since before whatever accident closed it down. The sale signs were still up, showing two for one deals and all the shelves still had their products, though it was difficult to tell what they were with the minimal lighting. The only thing that showed the place's age was the thick layer of dust that coated everything.

As they looked around, Wendy spoke up. "Whoa man, it's even creepier than I imagined."

Evelyn watched her sister carefully as Mabel made her way to the counter and swiped her finger over a change slot. She licked her finger before Evelyn could stop her, and then stated confidently, "Yep. It's dust."

Evelyn wrinkled her nose with distaste at her sister's actions as she approached. "What would you have done if it _wasn't_ dust?" Evelyn questioned, her voice a mixture of amusement and disgust.

Mabel just shrugged.

The elder brunette sighed. "Next time, _don't_ put the unknown substance in your mouth. I could have told you it was dust."

Mabel grinned at her sister. "But that would take the fun out of it!"

Dipper, who was steadfastly ignoring his twin's antics, wiped some dust off of a newspaper, revealing that it was dated for the year 1995. He quickly brought it over to his sister so that she could look at the date as well.

"Hey, this was after the year I was born." Evelyn mused aloud, smirking slightly.

She heard the teens muttering about the eerie set up and how 'cool' it was, the boys joking around and fumbling through the dark.

Wendy had made her way to the barely visible light switch while her friends explored and pointed it out. "Guys, check it out! You think these still work?"

She flicked the switch and, almost instantly, the industrial lights flickered on, bathing the store in light.

"I'm actually surprised the power still works." Evelyn murmured to her brother, who nodded in agreement.

The teens looked around in wonder at the now brightly lit and less creepy store, each of them wandering around, searching the shelves for interesting things.

"Jackpot!" Mabel exclaimed, looking in awe of the store.

"So what are we going to do now?" Dipper asked Wendy as she approached him and Evelyn.

"Anything we want." offered Wendy, sharing a grin with Evelyn.

"As long as it doesn't hurt you." Evelyn added, giving her siblings a knowing look.

Chaos ensued. Lee and Nate beat each other up with cat litter as the others (minus Evelyn) snacked on different baked goods in the store. Evelyn decided to eat some of the candy, since she felt as though they wouldn't be as bad as eating expired pastries.

They descended into a food fight, throwing old foods and liquids at each other as Evelyn carried Mabel on her shoulders, Nate doing the same for Dipper.

After that, they took a Pit Cola bottle and put some mints in it as they sat in a circle around it. The drink exploded, making it rain Pit Cola as everyone cheered, raising their arms towards the spray.

'So far,' thought Evelyn, 'the night's going pretty great!'

' _ **But for how long?**_ ' Bill asked pessimistically.

-DaLD-

Evelyn was chasing Mabel around, the latter shrieking with laughter and excitement as she tried to escape her sister.

Mabel ran around a corner, desperate to escape her sister, only to skid to a stop in front of a shelf dedicated to one type of candy, a 'Do Not Sell' tape crossed over it.

Evelyn quickly caught up to her distracted sister, scooping her up. "Got you!"

Mabel shrieked with laughter, squirming as Evelyn tickled her.

"S-stop!" Mabel gasped out between fits of giggles. "E-Evelyn l-look!"

Evelyn finally decided that she'd tickled her sister enough and set her sown, looking at what caught her sister's attention. "Smile Dip?" her eyes widened with recognition.

Mabel, who had regained her breath, exclaimed excitedly. "I thought this stuff was banned in America!"

Dipper, who had approached his sisters, warned, "Maybe they had a good reason." He was quickly distracted by a food filled balloon that hit him, and he ran back into the fray, laughing.

"Mabel." Evelyn stared at her sister reproachfully, knowing what she wanted to do. "If it was banned, it probably means there's something bad in it. I don't want you having any, okay?"

Mabel gave her sister puppy eyes, knowing that Evelyn had trouble saying no to her when she did that.

Evelyn felt her defenses crumble, and sighed. "Fine." Mabel jumped up excitedly, before Evelyn added sternly. "Only one though."

' _ **You're such a softie, Little Bird.**_ ' Bill commented, amused by how quickly Evelyn gave in.

'Oh hush, you.' Evelyn huffed, going back to ignoring him as she'd been doing since his strange comment before.

"I promise!" Mabel chirped, crossing her fingers behind her back.

Evelyn was about to say something else, when Wendy called her name. "Evie! Get your butt over here!"

Evelyn sighed and began to jog in the direction of her friends' voice. "Only one!" she shouted back to Mabel as she left.

Mabel grinned, having no intention of keeping her 'promise'.

-DaLD-

Wendy, Dipper and Evelyn were sitting on top of a shelf rack, observing the chaos happening below them.

"Hey, you guys want an ice pop?" Evelyn asked.

"Sure." Wendy replied.

"Thanks, Evie!" Dipper called out as she jumped off the shelf gracefully, heading out to get some ice pops.

"You know, I've never seen Evie like this before." Dipper commented quietly after a moment.

"Like what?" Wendy asked curiously.

"Social. Back at home, she's pretty introverted around people other than her family." Dipper said, looking at his sister as she searched for snacks.

"What do you mean?" Wendy shook her head, confused. "She's always been pretty confident and open around me."

"That's how she acts _here_." Dipper explained. "Back at home, she's pretty quiet around others. She doesn't really have friends at school either, so it's nice to see her opening up here."

"Why wouldn't she have friends?" Wendy was annoyed with herself to be asking so many questions, but her curiosity spurred her on.

Dipper hesitated, but sighed and began to tell the redhead Evelyn's story. "Well… when she was younger, all the kids were weirded out by her eye colour." He gazed at his sister, a glazed look in his eyes. "The kids would avoid her or make fun of her, especially in elementary.

"Eventually, she just started to naturally avoid people since they didn't seem to be willing to get over it." He paused for a moment as Wendy looked back sympathetically at her red-eyed friend. "The adults didn't help. They thought she was weird too, so she was always independent, only ever relying on us, her family. Plus, the other kids thought it was strange that she was so protective of Mabel and I."

Wendy blinked. "I didn't know. I mean, she never mentioned it…"

"Yeah, I was surprised when she told me she hung out with you guys. She normally doesn't put herself out there like that." Dipper watched as his sister seemed to find the stuff she was looking for.

"She _was_ kinda quiet when I first introduced her…" Wendy remembered, before looking at Dipper, respect in her gaze. "You really care about Evelyn, huh."

Dipper smiled at Wendy. "Well, yeah, she's my big sister. She's always taken care of us. Sometimes, I just wish I could return the favour."

"Hey guys!" Evelyn exclaimed cheerfully, appearing suddenly as she tried to get back up to her previous spot. The other two jumped in surprise, not having heard her coming. "I got the ice pops!"

"Sweet!" Wendy recovered quickly, accepting the icy treat and helping Evelyn up.

Dipper looked at his sister carefully, but she seemed completely unaware of his conversation with Wendy, so he sighed in relief, looking out to stare at the others.

Evelyn glanced at her brother, her eyes softening. She'd heard the end of the conversation, only really what Dipper had said last, but she was still touched that he thought that way.

They watched as Nate called Thompson over, Thompson crying out, "Whatever it is, I'll do it!" as he ran in Nate's direction.

Wendy laughed, before cheering, "Thompson!" she turned to Dipper and Evelyn. "Guys, this night is like, legendary."

"Really?" Dipper asked, hopeful.

"Just look around." Wendy said, pointing to the guys. "The boys are bonding."

They were actually shoving ice down Thompson's pants as they laughed, but Evelyn digressed.

"I've never seen Tambry look up from her phone this long." Wendy gestured to Tambry, who glanced up from her phone for a moment before she went back to texting.

"Evie's not beating Robbie up." Wendy nudged Evelyn, who rolled her eyes and smirked.

"Yet." Evelyn added. "The night's still young."

Wendy grinned before continuing. "And your sister seems to be going nuts with that Smile Dip."

They stared at Mabel as she seemed to be gnawing on something that wasn't there

"Ugh, I told her to have only one!" Evelyn cried, and was about to jump down and check on Mabel but was stopped by Dipper, who held her arm.

"Mabel will be fine, Evie. You can check on her later. You should relax right now."

Evelyn sighed and sat back down, resigned. "Fine."

"You know Dipper, I wasn't sure if you could hang with our crew at first, but you're surprisingly mature for your age." Wendy confided, sounding slightly relieved.

Dipper puffed himself up and tried to look serious. "Yes, yes I am." He brought his ice pop to his face without looking, and smeared it into his face.

Evelyn's shoulders shook with the effort of holding in her laughter at how ridiculous her brother was, especially when he was in love.

They were shaken from that little awkward moment by Lee's call. "Hey guys! We need more ice!"

"I'm on it!" Dipper exclaimed, wanting to be helpful. He jumped off of the shelf and headed towards the freezer.

"I'm just surprised that Thomspon's not gotten hypothermia by now." Evelyn commented, amused, as she licked her ice pop.

"Nah, Thompson's made it out of situations more intense than this." Wendy replied casually, finishing off her own ice pop.

They both jumped in surprise when they heard a girly scream coming from Dipper's direction.

They jumped off of the shelf and joined the others as they rushed towards the place the scream came from. They found Dipper staring at the ice freezer with uncertainty, an ice pack melting on the ground beside him where he spilled it.

"What was that? I thought I heard some lady screaming back here." Lee questioned.

"You freakin' out, kid?"

Nate joked.

"Uh, no. I'm cool. Everything's cool." Dipper stuttered out, not meeting his sister's concerned gaze.

"Then what's all this about?" Robbie asked dubiously, pointing to the spilled ice.

"That's uh, um uh… hey look! Dancy Pants Revolution!" he distracted them. "The game that tricks people into exercising!"

The distracted teens mumbled in agreement and headed toward the game, save for Evelyn and Dipper. Dipper glanced back at the freezer hesitantly, before realizing that his older sister was still there.

"Uh, what's up, Evie?" he asked nervously.

"What's wrong Dipper?" Evelyn gave him a look, which meant to him that he wasn't getting away with attempting to distract her.

"Uh, no-nothing." She raised her brow and he slumped. "I thought I saw some sort of… monster, in the ice freezer. It looked like a floating brain with the nerves as… tentacles, and it had eyes and teeth."

Evelyn carefully approached the freezer and slowly opened the door. Her caution was unnecessary, however, since there was no monster in sight.

"Well, I guess it's gone now." Evelyn said, staring at the empty freezer.

"I guess I'm just crazy then…" Dipper sighed, crestfallen.

"I didn't say that you were wrong, I'm just saying that it's gone right now." Evelyn looked at her brother.

Dipper perked up at her words. "Wait, you believe me?!"

"Dipper, when, during this whole summer, have I ever not believed you when you said something was wrong?" she asked rhetorically.

"Not very often." Dipper admitted.

"I'm sure you saw something. And if you have, I don't want to stick around to see if it's friendly."

 **-DaLD-**

 **Hey guys! I hope you enjoyed this chapter! The next one will be a lot more action packed, so I can't wait to post it. Sadly, I'm going away for the rest of the week to a cabin with no Wi-Fi, so there won't be any chapters this week** **.**

 **Anyway, in response to Cinnabon6, you've got a point. Evie doesn't seem like the sort to hang out with Wendy's friends, right? Well, I'm going to be posting a chapter on their first meeting after Double Dipper, so hopefully this will clear up some of the questions you may have about their unlikely friendship.**

 **Evelyn's date of birth, for those who are curious, is November 7** **th** **, 1994, since the show is during the summer of 2012. It took me a while to do the math to see if there were any flaws with her age and date of birth (math during the summer is not fun at all).**

 **My next update will be on Monday, so please stay tuned for more! Please favourite, follow and/or review! No flames please, and pardon any grammar mistakes in this chapter, I wrote it in a hurry. Hope your week is absolutely amazing! Here's a little cipher from Cipher** **:**

 **12 9 20 20 12 5** **2 9 18 4** **1 19** **20 15** **12 5 1 18 14** **20 15** **11 5 5 16** **8 5 18** **13 15 21 20 8** **19 8 21 20** **1 18 15 21 14 4** **1 14 7 18 25** **,** **20 5 5 14** **8 1 20 9 14 7** **19 16 9 18 9 20 19** **.**

 **-Aria**

 **(I don't own Gravity Falls, and I hope you enjoy the cipher!)**


	17. Chapter XVI: The Inconveniencing (pt 3)

They joined the other teens so as not to arouse suspicion, since Dipper didn't want them to find out that he and his sister thought the place was haunted.

Thompson was trying and horribly failing at Dancy Pants Revolution, sweat dripping down his face as he attempted to reach the arrows in time. Everyone was cheering him on.

"Go! Go! Go! Go! Go!" Lee and Nate cheered.

"Wow. He's really terrible at this." Wendy commented to Dipper and Evelyn, who were standing beside her.

"Heh heh, yeah. That's, that's great." Dipper laughed nervously, before he looked at his reflection in the glass doors and his eyes widened.

Evelyn, seeing her brother's reaction to whatever he was staring at, looked at the reflection as well and froze.

In a scene mirroring what was really going on, Wendy, Robbie, Thompson, Nate, Lee, Tambry, Dipper and her were in their positions. The only difference was that instead of having skin, they were skeletons. It was mildly horrifying to see, since their skeletons were still wearing their clothes and still had their hair. Even Thompson's sweat showed up on his skeleton.

Evelyn stared at her skeleton self for a moment before blinking. Once she reopened her eyes, the scene returned to normal, their reflections once again had flesh.

' _ **Well, that was spooky.**_ ' Bill commented.

Evelyn and Dipper exchanged matching looks of surprise and horror as Dipper quickly squeaked out, "We'll be right back!" before zooming off with his sister towards the phone.

The moment they reached it, Dipper dialled Stan's home phone number with shaky hands. "Come on, Grunkle Stan, pick up!" he mumbled as the phone rang repeatedly.

"What is he _doing_?!" Evelyn wondered. "He _never_ seems to be reachable during a supernatural event!"

After waiting another minute for their uncle to pick up the phone, the two gave up and went to check on Mabel.

"Mabel, we need your help." Dipper began pacing, his back turned to Mabel. "We're hanging out in a haunted convenience store, Evie and I can't get a hold of Grunkle Stan, and if I say anything about it to these guys, they'll think I'm just a scared little kid or something!"

"Dipper…" Evelyn warned, staring at Mabel oddly.

"No, Evie, if you tell them, they'll think you're crazy!"

"No, Dipper! It's Mabel!" Evelyn ran towards her sister as she made a gurgling noise, the sound also attracting Dipper's attention.

They both reached Mabel and Dipper grabbed his twin and shook her desperately. "Mabel, how many of these did you eat?!"

Mabel, whose pupils were dilated, slurred, "Bleven… teen…"

"Oh man." Dipper dropped Mabel and began to panic. "Oh man, oh man, oh man."

"Dipper! Don't drop Mabel like that!" Evelyn quickly picked her nearly comatose sister back up, inspecting her for any injuries, other than the serious hallucination she was no doubt experiencing. "That is the _last_ time I leave you alone with banned treats." Evelyn muttered to Mabel, before carefully placing her sister down in a more comfortable position, wiping away the remains of the Smile Dip on her face. She then got up and went to check on her panicking brother.

Before she could talk to Dipper about some of her ideas on how to get everyone out in a relatively safe way, Robbie called them all over and they went behind the counter to see tape markings for two bodies on the floor, a quarter lying beside the larger one. They all started murmuring to each other, buzzing in excitement, except for Dipper and Evelyn.

"Then the rumours are true!" Lee exclaimed, making Dipper gulp in worry.

Evelyn briefly took her brother's hand and gave him a comforting squeeze, before letting go so that Dipper wouldn't be caught and embarrassed by the other teens.

"Dude, I dare you to go lie down in it." Robbie dared Lee, who rose to the challenge.

"Good idea!" Lee turned to Nate. "Go lie down in it!" he told him.

"I'm a dead body, look!" Nate joked as he walked towards the markings.

"Wait!" Dipper yelled. "Maybe let's not do that."

"This guy's scared!" Lee teased lightly.

"All I'm saying is, why tempt the fates?" Dipper tried to explain, his sister giving him a supportive look. "I mean… what if this place really is…" he paused and scrunched his eyes shut, preparing for the worst. "…haunted?"

The teens, excluding Evelyn, booed. "Ah, c'mon!"

"Yeah, take it down a notch, Captain Buzzkill!" Robbie snapped at Dipper, for once ignoring Evelyn's fierce glare.

"I thought I was Dr. Funtimes." Dipper said, sounding hurt. Evelyn put her hand on Dipper's arm.

"Well, you're acting like Captain Buzzkill! Right?" Robbie turned to the others to back him up.

Tambry, Lee and Nate nodded and Wendy said, "Yeah, little bit." as she rubbed her arm awkwardly.

"Shut up, Robbie." If looks could kill, Evelyn would have had Robbie murdered at _least_ twenty times.

Tambry texted something and read it aloud, ignoring what Evelyn had said before. "Status update: trapped in store with insane 9-year old."

"Guys, my brother might be right." Evelyn tried to appeal to them. "And even if this place isn't already haunted, I doubt disrespecting their resting place by playing around where they died will help."

"Oh yeah, because Ms. Crazy knows _all_ about the dead and what they want, right, Red Eyes?" Robbie mocked.

"Robbie!" Wendy scolded, shocked that he'd say that.

Evelyn could _feel_ Bill practically bristling in anger as he cursed Robbie out in her head, but she tried not to focus on him or Robbie as she watched her angered brother worriedly.

Dipper was _furious_ , and became rash." My sister is _not_ crazy, you jerk! And I'm not a 9-year old!" he snarled, sticking to his lie. "I'm 13! Technically a teen!"

"Oh, yeah? All _I_ see is a scared little twerp!" Robbie sneered at Dipper.

"Robbie! Stop it!" Wendy argued. "Let's not fight, okay?"

Evelyn glared at Robbie. "Yeah, because if you lay a hand on my brother, I swear I will beat you into a pulp."

"Yeah, right!" Robbie scoffed, walking towards the tape markings. "At least I'm not a scared little kid, like you. I can actually do the dare." Robbie lay down on the markings. "Because I'm _actually_ a teenager!"

Almost instantly, the tape markings around him lit up at his words and the lights went out, causing everyone to realize something was about to go horribly, horribly wrong.

' _ **Broken Heart just**_ _ **had**_ _ **to run his mouth!**_ ' Bill sneered.

Tambry looked up for a moment, only to dissolve into a greenish light and disappear, her phone dropping to the ground.

The teens freaked out, but Dipper tried to keep a level head as he picked up the phone and read from the lit screen. "Status update: AAAAUUUUUGGGGGHHHH!"

The security camera screen turned on, revealing Tambry, who was beating on the glass and screaming from _inside the screen_.

"AAAHHH!" the teens and Dipper screamed at the sight.

Tambry continued screaming.

"Tambry! Tambry!" Wendy shrieked in horror and worry.

"Can you hear us?!" Dipper tried, but Tambry just looked around in confusion.

"Tambry? Can you hear us?!" Evelyn repeated, but got no response from the teen stuck in the security camera screen.

"What are we supposed to do?!" Nate panicked.

"I don't know man! I don't know!" Lee replied, equally as freaked out.

"Let's just go already!" Robbie yelled, pointing at the open doors.

'Those hadn't been open before…' Evelyn thought, before she processed what Robbie said.

"We are _not_ leaving without Mabel!" Evelyn yelled back, her eyes practically sparking in anger.

Evelyn was about to search for her sister when Wendy's scream caught her attention, rooting her to the spot.

"Thompson!" Wendy cried, trying to get his attention.

Thompson was still playing the game, not having left when the lights had gone off and Tambry disappeared.

"Wait! I've almost got the high score!" No sooner had he said that did he dissolve into green light like Tambry and reappeared in the Dancy Pants Revolution game. "Uh? What?"

" _It's time to shake what your mama gave you!_ " the automated voice said cheerfully, arrows raining down on Thompson.

"No!" Thompson cried as he tried to avoid them. "So many arrows!"

The amount of arrows increased as the voice cheerfully commented, "You're a dance machine!"

Thompson, who was now covered in arrows that had stabbed him, tearfully rebuked, "No! _You're_ a dance machine!" before he began sobbing as he curled up into a ball.

Evelyn watched on in horror as Wendy screamed "Thompson!"

"Forget them! Let's go!" Robbie shouted and ran towards the door, Nate and Lee following him.

The doors closed the moment they reached them making Robbie, Nate and Lee slam into the closed door.

"What the…" Wendy approached the door and tried to open it. "Guys… it's locked."

"OUTTA MY WAY!" Robbie yelled as he ran to the door with the cash register, chucking it at the door, but it dissolved in the strange light and the light flew at Robbie, who dodged.

"Everybody, wait!" Dipper tried to get the others to stay level-headed. "Whatever's doing this has to have some kind of reason!" he opened the Journal to the page about ghosts. "Maybe if we can figure out what it is, they'll let us out of here!"

"Uh-uh they'll let us out of here!" Robbie mimicked before sarcastically commenting "Yeah that makes sense!"

"I don't see you coming up with any bright ideas there, Robbie! You're the one that started this!" Evelyn sneered at him, her worry making her even more irritable towards the emo teen.

"I don't know guys, maybe Dipper has a point!" Wendy agreed with the younger Pines, desperate to get out of the situation.

Lee scoffed before sarcastically commenting, "Yeah right, I'm sure the ghost just wants to talk about his feelings!" Almost instantly, he dissolved and reappeared on a cereal box.

The Cereal Box Toucan lifted a spoon and spoke in a goofy voice. "I'm bonkers for eating you alive!"

Evelyn quickly covered her brother's eyes as the Toucan stabbed Lee, sparing Dipper from the horrific sight.

"Lee!" Nate cried out in anguish, before turning to Dipper in desperation. "I'm with you kid! 100%, man!"

Mabel, who was surrounded by a green glow, was suddenly lifted into the air from behind the counter Evelyn had put her by. As she floated in midair, Mabel opened her eyes to show that they were glowing.

" _Welcome._ " Mabel said in a deep male voice.

The boys and Wendy screamed incoherently in fear.

"MABEL!" Evelyn screamed and tried to run to her sister, but Nate and Wendy grabbed her arms to hold her back.

"They got Mabel!" Dipper cried, staring in horror at his twin sister.

" _Welcome to your graves, young trespassers._ " Possessed Mabel said, before kicking her legs and laughing evilly.

"We're super sorry for hanging out in your store!" Wendy called, her voice shaking in fear as she continued to hold back a struggling Evelyn.

' _ **Stop trying to run**_ _ **towards**_ _ **the killer ghost! What are you, crazy?!**_ ' Bill yelled in her head.

'It's taken Mabel!' Evelyn screeched mentally.

' _ **And there's nothing you can do about it right now!**_ ' Bill reasoned.

Unknowing of his sister's mental argument, Dipper sided with Wendy and tried to bargain with the spirit. "Can we just go now and leave forever?" he asked hopefully.

" _Well… okay. You're free to go_." Mabel waved her arm and the door opened. " _But before you leave, hot dogs are now half off. I know it might be crazy, but you gotta try these dogs!_ "

The group stared at the Possessed Mabel in shock before Robbie and Nate screamed and ran for the open door.

The ghost closed the doors in their faces and turned to the teens and Dipper, a snarl on Mabel's face. " _Just kidding about the hot dog sale!_ "

"Just let us out of here already!" Nate pleaded desperately.

" _I don't like your tone._ " Possessed Mabel growled, making Nate dissolve and reappear as a hot dog on the turning stove.

"No!" Nate cried, realizing what he'd become. "I'M A HOT DOG!"

" _It begins._ " Possessed Mabel flew to the center of the room and made everything float to the ceiling. " _Welcome to your home for all eternity!_ "

Evelyn was finally able to break free from Wendy, since the red head was in shock at the fate of her friends and the fact that she was now on the ceiling.

Evelyn ran a few steps closer to the ghost, before yelling, "I don't care what you do to us, but LET MY SISTER GO!" She ignored Wendy and Dipper's screams of her name as she faced off the spirit.

" _Don't raise your voice at me_!" Possessed Mabel growled before levitating Evie in the air, the green light surrounding her.

"EVIE!" Dipper and Wendy cried, seeing what was happening to the brunette.

Evelyn felt herself start to dissolve and fear began to overtake her. It was a strange feeling… to feel herself be there one minute, then to be missing a part of herself the next…

' _ **Little Bird!**_ ' yelled Bill. ' _ **I can get you out of this!**_ '

'How?!' Evelyn mentally panicked, feeling more of herself dissolve.

' _ **Repeat after me.**_ ' Bill instructed urgently. ' _ **Tirips, ohw stpmetta ot ekat ym luos…**_ '

"Tirips, ohw stpmetta ot ekat ym luos!" Evelyn repeated, her voice frantic as more of her dissolved.

' _ **Ni eht eman fo rehpiC, I dnamed uoy tel em og!**_ '

"Ni eht eman fo rehpiC, I dnamed uoy TEL EM OG!" Evelyn finished, and felt a cold rush pass over her as her body reappeared, the green glow left, and she was deposited onto the ground.

"Evie?!" Wendy and Dipper screamed, completely confused.

" _What?! How..?!_ " Possessed Mabel yelled angrily as the ghost made things fly around violently.

Evelyn ran over to her sibling and friend, grateful she didn't get taken. "What was that?!" Wendy yelled, but there was no time for idle chatter.

"DUCK!" Dipper screamed, and they ducked to avoid a flying shelf.

Wendy searched for shelter to avoid getting hit by the flying objects and pointed at a tipped over ice machine. "Quick! In there!"

They quickly ran over to it and crawled inside, panting from exertion.

"What do they want from us?!" Wendy cried, hearing the noise.

"Revenge, I guess?" Dipper tried, glancing at his sister momentarily.

"That seems the most likely." panted Evelyn, still in shock from almost becoming some ghost's plaything.

"What did we do wrong?" Wendy asked.

"Okay, let's try to figure out the pattern here. Why was each person taken? Or, nearly taken." Dipper glanced once more at his sister curiously, before listing off each reason. "Tambry was texting, Thompson was playing a video game, Lee was being sarcastic, Evie was raising her voice; it doesn't make any sense!"

"Yeah!" Wendy agreed. "I mean, those are all just normal teenage things!"

Evelyn froze. "Wendy…" she murmured, "can you say that again?"

"Normal teenage things?" Wendy repeated, confused.

Dipper's eyes lit up in understanding as he shared a look with his sister. "Of course!" Dipper began crawling out of the freezer, calling; "Stay here until I get back!"

Wendy, who didn't understand what the importance of it being _teenage_ things, cried out in panic, "Dude, what are you doing?!"

Evelyn was tense, but didn't move to follow her brother. If her assumptions were correct… the ghost wouldn't attack Dipper once it realized her brother wasn't a teen, so he was technically not in danger, barring getting hit by a flying object.

But just to make sure her brother would be safe, she and Wendy moved as close to the entrance as they dared, to watch her brother face the ghost.

"Hey ghost!" Dipper yelled, trying to get the ghosts attention.

The ghost that possessed turned Mabel's head around to face Dipper, her neck cracking as it was turned in the opposite direction of her body. Evelyn flinched at the cracking sound and her eyes widened in horror.

' _ **Relax, Little Bird. Shooting Star will be fine, other than a sore neck.**_ ' Bill casually said, hearing her broadcasted thoughts of fear for her sister's condition.

Possessed Mabel's body turned around to join the heads direction, now completely facing Dipper.

"I've got something to tell you!" Dipper continued as he was encased in the green light and was lifted from the ground.

Evelyn tensed even more was about to leap into action when Bill warned, ' _ **Little Bird, don't you**_ _ **dare**_ _ **go out there. The only thing you'll do is get captured**_ _ **again**_ _ **and anger the already angry ghost. And you'll be useless to Pine Tree if you're caught, right?**_ '

Evelyn felt a flicker of anger at his words, but stayed put and focused on her brother.

Dipper was now levitated to almost be face to face with Mabel. "I'm not a teenager!" he finished with a shout, and almost instantly, the glow faded from around him, dropping him onto the ground.

The ghost dropped everything that was floating and stopped possessing Mabel, who blinked blearily. The ghost appeared behind Mabel as an old man wearing an apron, presumably the old owner of the convenience store. Beside him, was an old woman, presumably his wife. He was holding Mabel up by her hair as he responded in a joyful, innocent old man's voice. " _Well, why didn't you say so?_ " he let Mabel's hair go and she fell into a pile of candy below her.

"WAAH!" Mabel screamed as she fell, rubbing her head and groaning once she landed.

" _How old did you say you were_?" the old man asked politely.

"I'm…" Dipper looked back and Wendy mournfully, before making eye contact with his sister. Evelyn gave him an encouraging look, and, reluctant yet bolstered by his sister's support, he said, "I'm twelve, technically not a teen."

" _When we were alive, teenagers were a scourge on our store!_ " the old woman explained.

" _Always sassafrassin' customers with their boomy boxes and disrespectful short pants!_ " the owner angrily exclaimed.

Evelyn briefly looked down at her own short shorts. 'Well, it's a good thing I'm not out there right now…'

' _ **You're welcome.**_ ' Bill said smugly, making Evelyn scowl lightly.

" _So we decided to up and ban them_!" the old man continued. " _But they retaliated with this new-fangled rap music._ "

" _The lyrics, they were so hateful!_ " the old woman stated, sounding almost afraid of the music she remembered. " _It was so shocking; we were stricken down with double heart attacks!_ "

" _That's why we hate teenagers so much!_ " the woman concluded brightly, nuzzling her husband. " _Don't' we honey?_ "

Evelyn was torn between being disturbed by her tone as she explained their hatred for teens, and being heart warmed by the fact that their love for each other _literally_ transcended death. It was kind of adorable, in a morbid way.

"But they're my friends, isn't there anything I can do?" Dipper asked awkwardly, glancing back at Wendy and Evelyn.

The ghost hesitated. " _There is one thing. Do you know any funny little dances?_ " he asked Dipper.

"Uh… is there anything _else_ I can do?" Dipper asked awkwardly, glancing back at Wendy.

The old man, who up until then was an innocent, faintly blue ghost, became red and lit up on fire, roaring, " _ **NOOO**_!"

"OKAY OKAY OKAY!" Dipper cried, trying to get the ghost back to its kind self. "Um… well, I do know…"

He paused staring at Wendy, knowing that he'd most likely just embarrass herself in front of her. He then looked at his sister, who was looking at him supportively, knowing what he had, and didn't want, to do. His sister, who'd almost dissolved like the others, yet said something… _strange_ and had escaped. He wanted to talk to her about it, but right now, he needed to save everyone the only way he could.

He slumped his shoulders. "…the Lamby Lamby Dance. Bu-but I can't really do it without a lamb costume!" he perked up, folding his arms.

The ghost casually snapped his fingers, and Dipper was instantly in a lamb costume.

"Oh, well… there it is." He took a deep breath, before posing and began singing, " _Wellll…._ "

" _Who wants a lamby lamby lamby? I do! I do!_ " He sang and danced, Wendy watching in awe and amusement, Evelyn smiling at the memories the song brought up. " _So go up and greet your mammy mammy mammy! Hi there! Hi there! So march march march around the daisies…_ "

" _Yes, yes! More! MORE!_ " the old man cried out, still on fire.

Evelyn eyed him, disturbed with his creepy obsession with her younger brother's childish and innocent dance. 'Is this guy a low-key predator? Should I be worried?' she thought, before deciding to let it go.

Dipper was still singing, marching around in circles. " _Don't don't don't you forget about the babies!_ " he gave his final pose; sweating, he poked his cheek and winked as he tried to smile, though it came out more like a grimace.

The ghost went back to his blue, kind form. " _That was some fine girly-dancing, boy!_ " he praised Dipper, who was back in his normal attire. " _You're friends are free._ " The door opened, giving them their freedom.

"Well, I don't think you have to worry about us coming back, so…" Dipper trailed off as he saw them disappear, the lights flickering on as everything fell back to the floor.

Everyone slowly crawled out from piles of junk that had fallen from the ceiling, groaning in pain as their bodies ached.

Evelyn got out of the ice box as quickly as her aching body would allow, and ran over to her siblings.

Mabel was crawling out of a pile of candy, rubbing her head, blinking as the light hit her eyes. "Ugghh… I'm never gonna eat or do anything again." She complained.

Evelyn carefully helped her sister up and pulled her into an embrace, her arms holding her little sister tightly in relief. After a moment of bewilderment, Mabel returned the hug, snuggling into her sister in happiness.

Dipper joined his siblings and was pulled into the hug by Evelyn. "Whoa!"

She ignored him, holding them close. "I'm so happy that you're both okay." she whispered, smiling at them.

Dipper's eyes softened and he clutched his sisters tighter, remembering the fear he'd felt when he saw Mabel possessed and Evelyn about to be taken. "Me too."

They broke apart a moment later and Dipper picked up a half-empty package of Smile Dip " There's still some left!" he noted, curious.

He went to take some, when Mabel leapt into action and slapped the candy away from him, her eyes wild. "EVIL!"

Wendy had her friends lined up in front of her as she tried to explain what happened after they were taken. "You are not going to believe it! The ghosts appeared," Wendy laughed, reminiscing, "and Dipper had to…" she paused, seeing Dipper looking at her with pleading and despondent eyes. She backtracked, coming up with a story to save Dipper's ego. "Uh, and uh, Dipper just grabbed a bat, and just started beating ghosts down left and right, and the ghost got all scared and ran away like a couple of little girls. It was insane!"

The teens made various noises of approval, and Nate exclaimed, "Alright! Dr. Funtimes!"

Evelyn watched as Wendy turned to her brother and mimed zipping her lips, Dipper copying the gesture with a smile on his face. She was happy with the way Wendy had helped him right then, but she knew this would only fuel his crush, which she knew would never lead to something real. She looked at her brother sadly for a moment, mourning his future broken heart, before following Mabel out of the building.

Evelyn slowed down beside Wendy, waiting for the redhead to notice her. Once Wendy's eyes alighted on Evelyn with curiosity, the brunette spoke. "I just wanted to thank you for not telling on Dipper like that."

Wendy smiled in understanding. "Well, he kinda just saved our lives; I owed him one."

"I know he appreciated you doing that for him." Evelyn said, looking gratefully at her new friend.

"Hey, Evie…" Wendy paused and looked unsure as she put her hand on her friend's shoulder. "What happened back there?"

Knowing she was referring to her near disappearance, Evelyn shrugged. "I have no clue." She lied. "The words just came to me."

Wendy didn't sense her friend's lie and sighed. "Well, whatever it was, it was super convenient." With a smile, she regained her friendly demeanor. "How about next time we just chill out by ourselves? Movie night at my place sound good?" she wiggled her eyebrows as a joke.

Evelyn laughed lightly and pat her younger friend on the back. "Sounds good to me!"

Once they reached the car, Tambry, Mabel and the boys, save for Dipper, practically crawled in and closed their eyes for a few minutes, exhausted from the traumatic experience they'd just gone through.

Everyone was in the car except for Evelyn, Dipper and Wendy. Evelyn was about to stick around and wait for her brother to get into the van first, but the look he gave her was his way of saying 'I want to talk to Wendy alone.' So, with a small smile, Evelyn climbed into the backseat beside Mabel, who leaned against her sister as she closed her eyes. Evelyn softly brushed her younger sister's bangs out of her face and looked down at her half-asleep and slightly ill looking form. Despite the fact that Mabel was beat up from being some ghosts' ventriloquist dummy and had possibly overdosed on Smile Dip, Evelyn was just happy to see that her little sister was alright in the long run.

' _ **I told you.**_ ' Bill cheekily commented, his voice echoing.

'You did.' Evelyn admitted. 'Bill, I just wanted to say… thank you. Really. I mean, you saved me today, you help calm me down, even though I know I'm not always nice to you.' She paused. 'To be fair, you can kinda be a huge jerk at times too.'

' _ **Gee, what a great thing to say while you thank me.**_ ' he said sarcastically. ' _ **And I told you Little Bird, I need you around.**_ '

'For your plans, yeah.' Evelyn mentally rolled her eyes before adding good-naturedly, 'I think you would miss me if something would happen, wouldn't you?'

' _ **Don't fish for compliments, Little Bird.**_ ' Bill warned. __' _ **Besides, you already know the answer to that.**_ '

'Fine.' Evelyn huffed. She had some questions to ask him, especially about the spell, but decided to wait until later to ask when her brother made his way into the backseat, a hopeful grin on his face.

"I take it your conversation went well?" Evelyn questioned, eyeing her brother's smile with faint amusement.

"Yep!" Dipper replied, before getting lost in his own thoughts.

Mabel groaned in pain, clutching her stomach, and while she was keeled over she saw the thing she'd written. "What kind of sick joke is this?" she moaned.

"Your own." Evelyn replied to Mabel's rhetorical question, smirking slightly.

As they drove away, Evelyn glanced back at the store to see the lights go out.

-DaLD-

The siblings were practically dead on their feet when they arrived back at the Mystery Shack.

Dipper and Evelyn dragged themselves to the Shack, Mabel having climbed onto Evelyn's back to rest when they were dropped off. As they approached the house, they heard Grunkle Stan let out an angry roar from inside the house. A moment later, the TV crashed through the window and landed on the ground with a thud. For a moment, the screen showed an old, black and white movie of a woman in a wedding dress, before the screen went dark, leaving the siblings to look at it oddly.

Stan poked his head out the window, only to see his nieces and nephew staring at the TV with bewilderment.

"Uh, couldn't find the remote." Stan said as an excuse.

Evelyn blinked in surprise before sighing. "You know what? I'm too tired to ask. C'mon, Dipper." She waved half-heartedly at Stan as she herded her brother into the house. "Goodnight, Grunkle Stan."

"Uh, goodnight?" Stan replied a moment later, as she and the twins disappeared to their room.

"Well, that was easy." Stan reflected.

-DaLD-

Once Mabel was in bed, Evelyn turned to Dipper to say goodnight.

"Evie?" Dipper asked once Evelyn turned to him. He was sitting up in his bed.

"What's up Dip?" Evelyn asked.

Dipper hesitated, before asking. "Back at the convenience store, when you were… when you were almost taken… How did you stop it? You said something and the glowing stopped."

Evelyn knew her brother would ask, but she knew she couldn't tell him about Bill. For one, she didn't even know what Bill _was_ , she didn't know if he was a danger to Dipper and she didn't want her brother to get involved if there was a chance that he could get hurt. She also didn't want to be considered crazy. Of course, she knew that out of anyone who would believe her it would be her siblings, but a part of her didn't want to chance it. So, she would tell him a half-truth instead.

And her decision had nothing to do with the fact that a tiny, microscopic part of her didn't _want_ to share Bill with anyone else. Nope, not at all.

"Well, I actually don't know." At her brother's disbelieving look, Evelyn elaborated. "The words just kind of… popped into my head. It was weird."

"That _is_ weird." Dipper agreed, before he yawned. "But don't worry Evie, starting tomorrow I'll try to find out what that voice was. The Journal _has_ to have something on sudden knowledge popping into your head like that." He patted his sister's hand encouragingly and lay down. "We'll figure this out. Goodnight, Evie." He mumbled, closing his eyes.

"Goodnight, Dipper." Evelyn whispered as she headed over to her bed, guilt in her eyes.

She hated lying to him, she _hated_ it. But she had no clue what Bill was and what he wanted. One minute he was insulting the people around her and the next, he's giving her a lifesaving incantation. Evelyn _thought_ she was doing the right thing by hiding it from Dipper, but in moments like that, where he'd earnestly look up at his sister and promise to help her… it broke her heart to keep him in the dark.

She lay in her bed, just staring at the wall with her guilt filled eyes, before calling out mentally, 'Bill?'

' _ **Yeah, Little Bird?**_ ' he asked.

Evelyn had realised that Dipper had a point. What _had_ she done to stop herself from dissolving? 'What did you do to…to save me?'

' _ **I gave you an incantation that I know.**_ ' He replied easily. ' _ **It allowed me to channel some of my power through you to stop the ghosts.**_ '

'Really?' Evelyn questioned.

' _ **Well, yeah! I mean, just my name alone in some spell work can do crazy things. It was pretty spur of the moment for me though. I**_ _ **could**_ _ **have told you one that would have banished the ghosts entirely.**_ '

'You knew a way to banish the ghosts and you didn't tell me?!' Evelyn exclaimed. 'My friends are permanently scarred from that experience!'

' _ **Hey look, for one, it takes a lot of my energy. It already took a bunch to help you out there. Plus, it wouldn't guarantee that your friends would be alright.**_ ' Bill explained, sounding vaguely annoyed. ' _ **I also know that if you knew what it would do to the spirit, you'd probably have not done it anyway.**_ '

'What would it have done?' she asked, feeling slightly worried about the answer.

' _ **Only completely destroyed their souls, making them cease to exist. Poof!**_ ' he exclaimed laughing slightly. ' _ **They would just stop existing!**_ '

Evelyn's eyes widened with horror at his words as she thought of it to be banished from existence… it was horrible. 'Thank you for not telling me then.' Evelyn thought to Bill.

' _ **It was nothing, Little Bird!**_ ' Bill proclaimed, sounding delighted. ' _ **Now go to sleep. We can talk in your dreams and I need you to continue looking for me in the Mindscape.**_ '

Evelyn closed her eyes as a soothing feeling washed over her. She was asleep moments later, her necklace glowing in the dark.

-DaLD-

 _His Little Bird was torn, he could feel it. She wanted to trust him, but there was so much she didn't know about him. Though he'd love to help, to explain what he was, what_ _ **she**_ _was to_ _ **him**_ _, it was better for him if she was kept in the dark for a bit longer. But one day soon, she would know everything._

 _One day soon, she would be his queen._

 **-DaLD-**

 **Oh my glob, I am so sorry! This update came way later than I wanted it to! Life's been pretty hectic and I've lost track of time, but that's really no excuse. I'm already working on the next chapter to make up for it, and I promise it will be up soon!**

 **Other than my horrible lack of updating, I hope you guys have enjoyed this chapter! I really like the way this story is going so far. And next chapter will be the beginning of Evie's solo journey! Also, would you guys like me to write a supernatural adventure chapter with Wendy and Evie? Please let me know!**

 **In response to whiteink254: Thank you for giving this story a try! And I know that it seems a little un-Dipper like to be willing to accept Evelyn's mothering, but I feel if he had an older sister and grew up used to her, he might have acted like this. Just my personal opinion though** **. And Dipper's need to grow up will eventually lead to some issues in the future with Evie, so don't worry!**

 **And to Cipherhunt: Bill** _ **will**_ **eventually have a human form, so don't worry!**

 **I just wanted to thank everyone who was shown an interest in this story; it means so much to me to see something I've put a lot of effort into be so well received. I hope you guys have an amazing day! (By the way, have any of you gotten the new HP book? It's awesome!)**

 **Please favourite, follow and/or review! And no flames, please. Have an awesome day! –Aria**

 **Cipher of the week:**

 **23 8 1 20' 19** **13 1 4 5** **5 22 5 12 25 14** **19 15** **21 16 19 5 20** **?**


	18. Chapter XVII: Evelyn vs The Dead (p 1)

Evelyn woke up the next day with a small headache and a growling stomach. She rubbed her head and winced, wondering where the sudden pain had come from. She hadn't done anything to cause it, right?

' _ **Your head hurts because headaches are a side effect of me using my powers through you. It'll pass soon enough.**_ ' Bill casually brought up.

Evelyn nodded and quietly got up, so as to not wake up her siblings. Tired yet lucid, she walked over to the bathroom, her bare feet padding softly on the creaky wooden floor. Once she was in the bathroom, she opened the mirror and took some Tylenol, and sighed as she looked into the mirror. Tired red eyes and a pale face stared back at her, and she pushed up her tank top strap, which she saw had slipped down her arm. She must have moved around in her sleep a lot last night, since her hair was a mess.

She quickly brushed through it and washed her face before going back into her room to grab her clothing for the day. She took her gray shirt with the burgundy fringe and her short shorts, changing as quickly as she could. She was putting on her socks by the time the twins finally stirred.

"Good morning, sleepy heads." Evelyn grinned from her spot on her bed. "You guys are looking frightful this morning."

"Ha ha ha." Dipper slurred groggily from his bed, groaning as he stretched.

Mabel just burrowed even tighter under her covers, refusing to wake up. "No, sunlight, go away, I'm sleeping."

Evelyn chuckled at her sister's ire and sat on Mabel's bed. "Mabel, wakey, wakey…." She cooed jokingly.

"No." Mabel's reply was muffled by the blankets.

Evelyn fake sighed in sadness. "Then I guess you leave me no choice…"

With one quick gesture, she ripped the blanket off her little sister, leaving Mabel exposed to the sunlight.

"Aaahh!" Mabel cried, blocking her eyes with her arm.

Dipper stumbled to the dresser to grab his clothing, completely ignoring his sisters. "I'm going to get dressed." He mumbled, shuffling out of the room.

"Well, I'll let you get changed." Evelyn said, ignoring her sister's glare. "You're normally a morning person, so you'll be fine, Mabel. I'll meet you two in the kitchen, okay?"

Without waiting for her sister's response, Evelyn quickly left the room. She knew that if she gave Mabel enough time to get her energy back, Mabel would no doubt attack her sister mercilessly. It was better for Evelyn's health in the long run if she was far away from Mabel for the next few minutes.

She walked down the stairs slowly, lost in her thoughts of what to make for breakfast. She was starving and she couldn't _wait_ for a nice, warm, homemade breakfast.

-DaLD-

Evelyn was staring at horror at the open fridge by the time the tired twins stumbled down the stairs. They paused in the doorway when they saw their elder sister standing in front of the fridge, unmoving.

"What's wrong?" Dipper asked slightly concerned with his sister's silence.

Evelyn raised a shaking arm to point at the contents of the fridge. "We've run out of food…"

"WHAT?!" Dipper and Mabel ran over to look at the fridge from under their sister's arm.

"How did I not realize we were low on food sooner?" Evelyn mumbled to herself, slowly getting out of her shock.

"What are we gonna do?!" Mabel asked, turning to her sister for guidance.

Evelyn pondered their situation for a moment, before deciding. "We'll just have to ask Grunkle Stan to let us eat at the diner."

The twins nodded in agreement, and were about to head out to ask, but Evelyn stopped them. "We can't ask him _now_. He's busy with Shack stuff. We'll ask in half an hour, okay?"

The twins sighed, but stayed put.

"What should we do to pass the time then?" Dipper questioned.

Mabel glanced slyly at her brother, before tapping him with her hand. "Tag! You're it!"

Mabel and Evelyn bolted from the room, leaving a surprised Dipper behind. He shook his head before smiling.

"You're on!" Dipper shouted, chasing after them as they laughed.

-DaLD-

After half an hour of running around outside, they ran into the Mystery Shack's Gift Shop, heading straight for their Grunkle. There was only one other person in the store, but he was busy admiring the overpriced merchandise.

"Grunkle Stan?" Dipper asked once they got their uncle's attention.

"Could we go to the diner for breakfast?" Evelyn continued.

"We're huuuungry." Mabel complained, her words drawn out.

"Huuuuuungry." Dipper and Evelyn groaned.

Dipper and Mabel grabbed their stomachs and hit them together a few times as Evelyn gripped her stomach, faking her agonizing hunger.

"Yeah, sure. Soon as this yahoo makes up his mind." Stan printed at the local man, who Evelyn knew was Tyler Cutebiker, a local that was currently waltzing around and inspecting stuff.

"Do you have this in another animal?" Tyler asked pointing at a fur covered trout.

Stan and Evelyn deadpanned, before Stan turned to the kids. "I'm fine locking him inside if you are."

The trio nodded eagerly and they all raced outside, leaving a wooden plank to stop the door from opening, and quickly zoomed off in Stan's car.

'Is Tyler gonna be okay?' Evelyn thought to herself, before shrugging. 'Yeah, he'll be fine.'

She relaxed, worry free, for the rest of the car ride.

-DaLD-

They got a booth at the diner and were patiently awaiting their food in the span of ten minutes, having sped the entire way there. Seeing as the only officers that were currently on duty were speed eating pancakes in the dinner, Evelyn decided that they'd had nothing to worry about.

She glanced around the diner, seeing McGucket, who was going crazy for coffee, Manly Dan, Wendy, who waved at her, and other locals just hanging around.

She was pulled from her people watching once Lazy Susan, the waitress, walked up to their table.

"Lazy Susan! There's my little ray of sunshine! Where were you yesterday?" Stan asked, trying to be suave.

Evelyn quirked her brow in amusement at how clearly enamored her great uncle was with the waitress. She was about to say something, but bit her tongue, deciding to wait until later to poke fun at her uncle and his infatuation. The twins, however, were completely oblivious to their Grunkle's crush.

"I got hit by a bus!" Lazy Susan replied to Stan's flirty question, unaware.

Stan took that as a joke. "Ha ha ha ha! Hilarious!"

"Thank you." Lazy Susan said before laughing strangely.

Stan looked down at the menu before looking up at Lazy Susan. "You do split plates, right?"

"Maybe…" she trailed off, trying to be coy. She grabbed her lazy eye's eyelid and made it wink.

"Great!" Stan exclaimed before quickly giving the order. "We'll all split a one-fourth of the number seven, plus two free salad dressings for the ladies, and a small plate of ketchup for the boy." He tipped his fez at her as she scribbled down the order and walked off.

"But Grunkle Stan," Mabel complained, "I want pancakes!"

Stan scoffed. "With the fancy flour they use these days? What am I, made of money?" As he raised his hands in exasperation, a ten dollar bill slipped out of his sleeve, causing Evelyn's eyes to narrow. "Tap tap." He quickly tapped the money back into his sleeve, not looking at his judgmental niece.

"Awww…" Mabel complained.

Evelyn sighed. "Mabel, I can buy us some pancakes to share. Grunkle Stan," she glared lightly at her uncle, "can eat his 'one-fourth of a number seven' by himself."

She took out her wallet and counted her money, sighing once more. "I was saving it for some new shoes and books, but needs must."

"Yay!" Mabel cheered, high fiving her sister, who was sitting beside Dipper, from across the table.

Dipper was less pleased with spending his sister's money. He knew she'd worked hard to get it, both from working at the Shack and her work as a waitress back home. So he scanned the diner for another solution, and saw a machine called the 'Manliness Tester' with a sign that said 'Free pancakes for the winner!' He brightened up, having an idea.

He pat Evelyn's arms in reassurance. "Don't worry guys, pancakes are on me. Evie, you can keep your money." At his family's confused looks, he explained, "I'm gonna win some by beating that manliness tester."

"Manliness tester?" Stan repeated, surprised.

"Beating?" Mabel asked, sounding sceptical.

The two began to laugh hysterically, clutching the table in an effort to not fall. Evelyn looked at her scrawny, innocent little brother and felt like laughing as well, but she knew how sensitive her brother could be. His eyes showed that he had been serious about beating it and had been confident, until they laughed that is. So she struggled to hold it in, despite the fact that she thought he was adorable.

"He says he's… he says he… HA HA HA HA HA HA!" Stan gasped for breath, dissolving into laughter once more.

"What? What's so funny?" Dipper asked, offended.

"Oh, no offense Dipper," Mabel said as she regained her breath, "but you're not exactly 'Manly Mannington'. Ha ha ha!"

"Mabel!" Evelyn scolded, and was about to reprimand both her sister and her uncle, but Dipper cut her off.

"Hey, I am too 'Manly…Manny' or whatever it is you said." Dipper defended.

"Look, face the music, kid. You got no muscles, you smell like baby wipes, and let's not forget last Tuesday's… 'incident'." Stan leaned on the table, giving Dipper a look.

"What happened?" Mabel questioned gleefully.

"I walked in on your brother wearing a towel and singing a girly pop song in the mirror." Stan laughed as he reminisced.

"Which song?" Evelyn asked curiously.

"I don't know the name, but it went like this 'Disco girl, coming through, that girl is you'." Stan mock sang in his gravelly voice.

"You were listening to girly Icelandic pop sensation BABBA?" Mabel asked disbelievingly.

"What's wrong with that?" Evelyn shrugged, but she was ignored.

"Well, I wasn't." he laughed nervously. "It's not important. Look, come on guys, I'm plenty masculine. You see this chest hair?" he pulled down the collar of his shirt, revealing his smooth, hairless chest. It was so smooth it shined, blinding Mabel and Grunkle Stan. Evelyn turned her head away to avoid the light.

"Put it away, put it away!" Mabel cried, covering her eyes and cowering.

"So smooth! My eyes!" Stan shouted, struggling to protect his eyes.

"Aw man…" Dipper mumbled dejectedly, letting the collar of his shirt to resettle.

Stan and Mabel burst out laughing once more, Evelyn lightly smiling with them. She didn't want to, but even she admitted that what just happened was hilarious. Her brother was adorable sometimes.

Dipper decided to prove himself to his doubting family. "Fine, 'family of little faith'. Get ready to eat your words." He got up and turned back to them for a moment. "And a plate of delicious pancakes."

The rest of the Pines family watched as Dipper marched determinedly towards the Manliness Tester. As he marched, other people in the diner turned to watch him as well, causing Evelyn to worry. He'd be that much more embarrassed if he didn't get the score he wanted in front of all these people.

He stopped in front of the machine and seemed to be muttering to himself, making no move to grab the handle of the machine.

Stan became impatient and yelled, "Quit stallin'!"

Dipper quickly tugged on the handle with all of his might, sweating as the light moved up the levels to show which category he was in. Just as the light went higher, it suddenly dropped all the way down to the bottom category, which read 'wimp'. A card came out of a slot in the machine which Evelyn could _just_ make out. It read 'You are a cutie patootie!' Evelyn winced for her brother.

Dipper was in denial. "Oh, what? This thing must be broken." He began to speak to everyone in the diner, completely embarrassed. "It's totally broken, guys. It's like a billion years old, probably ran out of steam power or-!"Dipper was cut off by Manly Dan, who had gotten up and pushed Dipper out of the way. Manly Dan cracked his knuckles as Dipper looked on nervously.

"It's rickety man," Dipper attempted to warn, not wanting the older man to try it. "you shouldn't even-"

Manly Dan ignored him and lightly pushed the handle with his pinkie finger, causing the machine to instantly go to 'Manly Man', before it overloaded and exploded. The explosion knocked the plate of pancakes into the air and a pancake landed on everyone's plates.

"Yes!" Manly Dan shouted. "Pancakes for everyone!"

Everyone, excluding Evelyn, began cheering. Evelyn was too busy staring at her dejected and humiliated brother as a pancake landed on his head.

Dipper looked up to see Mabel and Stan laughing at him as Evelyn looked pityingly and felt his ego deflate even more.

"I need to get some chest hair and fast." He murmured.

He began to run out of the diner, only to trip on a beaver that came out of a hole in the floor. "I'm fine! Heh heh! Everything's fine!" He quickly ran out, ignoring his older sister's calls of his name.

As soon as he was gone, Stan scoffed. " Yeesh! How am I related to that?"

"Grunkle Stan!" Evelyn glared at him for his rude comment, but he ignored her glare. She got up to follow her brother, but Grunkle Stan held her arm, forcing her to sit down. "What are you doing?!" she asked, annoyed at being held back.

"Let the kid fend for himself for a bit. He might learn something." Stan grumbled, giving Evelyn a look when she didn't seem to be willing to back down.

"Come on, Grunkle Stan. I'm sure you deep down have a soft side too." Mabel tried to reason, feeling the tension. "And Evie, Dipper will be fine." She added casually, watching her sister deflate.

Stan laughed. "Ha! Nothing in here but a cold, dark, empty soul."

Lazy Susan showed up at that moment with their order. "Food!" she exclaimed as she placed it down carelessly.

"Thanks there, sugar pot. I-I mean, uh honey wasp, kitten baby, b-baby cow." Stan stuttered nervously as he tried to flirt.

"Ha ha! Silly!" Lazy Susan walked away with her empty tray, talking as she went. "Silly man…"

"What was that about?" Mabel asked, bewildered by her uncle's sudden change in attitude.

"What do you think?" Evelyn asked rhetorically, raising her brow at her puzzled sister.

Stan glared at Evelyn as he tried to brush off his strange behaviour. "Nothing. I don't want to talk about it. Talk about what? Why is this table wet?"

The light went on in Mabel's head. "Wait just a second I think I know what's happening here. You…"

"No!" Stan shouted, trying to stop her.

"And her…" Mabel continued. Evelyn grinned, momentarily distracted from her concern for her brother.

"Stop it!" he tried.

"AAAHH!" Mabel squealed as she figured it out.

"Oh boy." Stan mumbled as he covered his face with his hands.

"This is karma for laughing at Dipper." Evelyn smirked.

"You have a thing for Lazy Susan! You do have a soft side!" Mabel exclaimed.

Stan slapped his hand over her mouth to shut her up. "Keep it down will ya?!" he sighed. "Alright, I admit it. Okay? It would be nice if she liked me. But I've been out of the game for so long I wouldn't know where to start. She's so classy."

They all looked at Lazy Susan as she smacked the spinning pie trolley. "Spin, ya dumb pies, spin!"

Evelyn snorted. "You two would be good together."

Stan just sat there, tapping his fingers on his cheek nervously as he stared at Lazy Susan.

Mabel grabbed her uncle's face and squished his cheeks with her hand as she pulled their faces close together and spoke seriously. "Grunkle Stan, you are a cranky, gross, weird old man. But we will get Lazy Susan to like you because nothing is stronger than the power of-"

"Love?" Stan asked, ignoring his older niece's snickers.

"Nope." Evelyn replied, still laughing. "Mabel."

Mabel nodded at her, sister's response. She let go of her uncle's face and grabbed her salad dressing. "To victory!" she cried, drinking the salad dressing.

Evelyn wrinkled her nose in disgust. "Well, that was gross." She stood up and began to walk out. "I'm gonna go look for Dipper, okay?"

"Fine, but don't coddle him!" Grunkle Stan called out to her as she left, but other than that, the two barely acknowledged her leaving.

She nodded at them and headed out of the diner, trying to ignore the slight hurt she was feeling when Mabel didn't even give her a glance.

-DaLD-

After a few minutes of searching, Evelyn bumped into a woman in a scout uniform. "Oh, I'm sorry!" they exclaimed together.

"Excuse me, have you seen a young boy wearing a hat with a pine tree on it?" Evelyn asked.

"Oh, the boy that was crying? I ran into him a few minutes ago. He ran into the woods."

Evelyn cursed under her breath before smiling apologetically at the woman. "Thank you!"

Evelyn ran into the woods and followed the trail of snapped twigs and bent foliage. She eventually heard her brother muttering to himself and found him in the middle of a clearing.

She entered the clearing to see her brother trying to lift a twig, acting as though it was a weight.

"Dipper?" she called, startling him.

He dropped his twig in surprise, not knowing that she'd been there. "E-Evie!" he awkwardly tried to hide the stick from her.

' _ **Man, Pine Tree is**_ _ **weak**_ _ **.**_ ' Bill laughed, having seen Dipper struggling with the twig through Evelyn's eyes.

Evelyn ignored his otherwise rude comment to focus on her brother. "Relax Dipper, you don't have to hide. I saw you trying to lift the twig."

Dipper slumped. "It was pretty pathetic, huh?"

"A little." She admitted, sitting down beside her dejected little brother. "But Dipper, that's normal for someone your age. You don't just wake up one morning with a chest full of hair and bulging muscles." She ruffled his hair playfully, getting him to give a weak smile. "These things take time. You just need to be patient and work hard to achieve your goals."

"Really?" Dipper asked, slightly confused.

"Yeah. I mean, I didn't grow into this body type overnight. Plus, I had to work for _years_ to become strong. It took a lot of will and effort. Things don't come easy in life."

"But I don't _want_ it to take years!" Dipper burst out. "I want some changes right now, so that I can prove to Stan and Mabel and _everyone_ that I'm manly."

"Well, _I_ believe being manly is a state of mind." Evelyn shrugged.

"Then I need to get _into_ that state of mind fast!"

Evelyn stared at her brother helplessly as he seemed to not take her words into consideration. Normally he'd listen to her, at the very least absorb what she said, but he was clearly very upset about it and didn't seem to be willing to listen to her.

Upset, Dipper took out a pack of jerky from is chest and stared at the saying and manly man on the cover. 'You're inadequate!' it read.

Dipper sighed. "You said it brother. I need help."

"Dipper, the secrets to manliness need to be figured out by yourself." Evelyn tried again, hoping to convince her brother, to help him out. She was going by her experience with womanhood, but she decided that they couldn't be _that_ different, other than the physical and mental changes. "It's not like the answers to being a man will come out of nowhere-!"

She was cut off by the ground shaking.

"What the-" she and Dipper looked startled as various animals were running or flying _away_ from the sound of a large roar as the ground continued to shake.

Manly Dan was strangely running as well and paused momentarily to shout at them in warning, "For the love of all that's holy, run!" he quickly resumed his running, leaving the two Pines siblings to face whatever was coming their way.

A tree began to fall due to the ground shaking, and was dropping in the path of a stump that had Dipper's hat on it. Dipper rushed to grab his hat before the tree could crush it and got away just as the tree landed.

"Dipper!" Evelyn shouted as he ran back to her. "Don't you ever do that again!"

Just as she managed to grab him and pull him closer, they both fell onto their backs as the ground continued to shake and another roar was heard. They looked ahead as the shadow of a giant creature came closer.

Dipper and Evelyn screamed, Dipper's scream being around the same pitch as his sister's. Realising how feminine his scream sounded, he quickly tried to correct it. "Wait… sorry." Ignoring his sister's incredulous look, he tried to scream at a lower octave and began coughing.

The creature finally reached the clearing, revealing that it was a giant man-like creature, with hooves for feet. It had two horns, cow ears and a nose, with a reddish brown beard and hair that was covering parts of his upper front and back.

The creature let out another roar, only for it to turn into a yawn. It took a deer that tried to run past it, using the deer's antlers to scratch its back and then threw it away. Once the deer was gone, the monster turned to look in their direction the siblings were hiding in, knocking away the log they'd been hiding behind.

"Please don't eat us!" Dipper pleaded. "I haven't showered in a week! And my sister and I are all elbows! Elbows and gristle!"

"YOU…!" the creature bellowed.

"Ah!" Dipper and Evelyn screamed.

"Gonna finish that?" the creature finished, pointing at the bag of jerky that was still in Dipper's hand.

Dipper looked down at it in shock. "No." he tossed it to the monster and it quickly began scarfing down the food, much to Evelyn's disgust.

"I can't believe it," Dipper murmured to himself and to his sister. "Part animal, part human. Are you some kind of Minotaur?" he asked the creature.

"I'm a manotaur!" the manotaur yelled. "Half man!" he punched the ground, startling Evelyn. "Half…uh…half taur!" he punched the ground again.

"So did we, like summon you, or-?" Dipper questioned.

"The smell of jerky summoned me! JERKY!" the manotaur punched down a tree and crushed a rock with his head, cheering.

Evelyn had to move around to avoid getting hit by the rubble, catching the manotaur's attention. Upon seeing the teen, the manotaur's entire demeanor changed. He leaned against a tree and flicked his hair back. "Hey, little lady."

Dipper and Evelyn looked at him, dumbfounded. "Me?" Evelyn pointed to herself in disbelief.

"Yeah. What's a pretty lady like you doing in a forest like this?" he continued to flirt.

Evelyn felt Bill getting angry in her head, but she was more amused and confused than anything. "I went looking for my brother." She responded.

"The name's Chutzpar." Chutzpar said as he purposefully flexed his muscles. "One of the greatest warriors of the manotaurs."

"Evelyn." She introduced herself, still bemused.

' _ **If he makes one more move on you, Little Bird, I will rip out his eyeballs and shove them up his-**_ '

'Hey! Language!' Evelyn scolded, though Bill continued to rant.

She tuned him out and focused on Chutzpar as he continued flirting. "How about you come back with me to my place. I can show you how much I can bench press."

' _ **I will**_ _ **hunt**_ _ **him down, tear his limbs off, and make him eat it!**_ ' Bill continued, sounding furious.

"Hey! She's my sis-!" Dipper was stopped by Evelyn, who put her arm up to silence him, giving him an 'I'll take care of this' look.

"Thank you for the offer," Evelyn began, Chutzpar looking hopeful. "but I'm going to have to decline. I'm not interested."

Chuztpar looked put out for only a moment, before muttering something about women, his male ego now restored.

He sniffed the air, then smelt Dipper, before he seemed to figure something out. "I smell…emotional issues!"

Dipper sighed. "I have problems, Chutzpar. Man related problems." He'd decided to get over the manotaur trying to hit on his sister, since she'd taken care of it. Plus, who knows, maybe the manotaur would have some advice?

Chutzpar sat down cross-legged with a large thud, patting his leg. As Dipper sat down and put his head on the manotaur's leg, Evelyn frowned. She stood off to the side, absently watching her brother. She knew what he was doing. The manotaurs seemed to fit the male stereotype and she knew that Dipper would want to get Chutzpar to share some of his 'manly' secrets with him, which meant that he was completely ignoring her advice. And that kind of… hurt, to know that he'd decide to listen to a stranger before he'd listen to her.

Sure enough, when she focused on their conversation, she heard Dipper say, "Hey, you know, you seem pretty manly. Maybe you could give me some pointers?"

Chutzpar mulled it over for a moment before nodding and standing up, turning his back to Dipper. "Very well. Climb atop my back hair, child!"

"Uh… okay." Dipper agreed hesitantly.

Before he could approach the waiting manotaur, Evelyn held onto his arm, stopping him. "Dipper, please, think about this. You shouldn't go off with strangers you just met, right?"

Dipper looked at her for a moment, and began to feel annoyed. Why was she babying him? She _knew_ he could take care of himself. He yanked his arm back. "Evie, I'll be fine. I've handled worse."

"Not without backup!" she huffed. "Just think about this rationally, okay? You have _no_ idea who this creature is, and-"

Dipper felt his annoyance flare up even more. "I can take care of myself, okay? I don't need you _babying_ me all the time!" His eyes widened and regret immediately filled him at his sister's hurt look. He reached out to her. "Evie… I didn't mean it that way…"

Evelyn took a step back and looked away, avoiding her brother. She heard his regret, but she was hurt all the same. Couldn't he see she was just worried about him? "It's… it's fine, Dipper."

He slumped his shoulders and was about to apologize again, but Chutzpar made a noise of impatience, and he looked back at the manotaur. Evelyn would be there when he got back, but Chutzpar… this was a once in a lifetime chance for him. He _needed_ this. "Evie, I'm… can I go? Please?" he asked.

Evelyn sighed sadly. "Yeah, sure Dip." She watched her brother approach the manotaur and felt even worse, but she tried to bottle it up. She couldn't coddle him.

As he climbed on, Evelyn called out in a small voice. "Dipper, be safe, okay?"

"Yeah, I will!" he called back, and after giving his sister one more guilt filled looked, they were off.

Evelyn hadn't wanted to let him go, but she knew he'd just find a way back once she was gone and she didn't want him to think she was holding him back. She sighed once more, and began the trek back to the Shack.

It took her a moment to realise that Bill had stopped spewing insults and paused in her walk for a moment before resuming her pace, waiting for him to speak.

' _ **So, why'd you pass on Mr. Testosterone back there?**_ ' Bill asked, sensing the hurt she was currently trying to bottle up. Plus, he was honestly curious, though still annoyed.

Evelyn scoffed. 'Other than your constant stream of hate, I'm not into random half taur creatures. Plus,' she added as an afterthought, 'he's not my type.'

Bill was intrigued. ' _ **What's your type then?**_ '

Evelyn shrugged. 'Certainly not men who only think with their muscles. I suppose I'm more into intelligent guys, ones that look past looks alone.'

She could practically _feel_ the smugness radiating from Bill's voice. ' _ **Oh, really?**_ '

'Um…yeah, why?'

' _ **Nothing. So, with Pine Tree gone on his 'manly quest', what are you going to do?**_ '

Evelyn pondered that, before deciding. 'I'll check on Mabel. No doubt she's terrorizing Grunkle Stan for his crush.'

And so she left the woods, trusting Dipper to take care of himself. Because she knew her brother wouldn't be pressured by a bunch of manotaurs, right?

-DaLD-

She reached the Shack half an hour later and was ushered in by Mabel.

"Oh, Evie! There you are! I need your opinion, does Soos look enough like Lazy Susan, or does he need more makeup?"

Evelyn just blinked in shock as her sister dragged her to a makeup covered, dressed up Soos, who dutifully posed at Mabel's question.

"Um… what did I just walk in on?" Evelyn questioned, feeling mildly weirded out.

"I'm using Soos as practice for Grunkle Stan, I need to work on making him datable, so I thought that maybe I could see how he'd normally interact with a woman!" Mabel explained brightly.

Evelyn was hesitant to respond. "Well, Mabel… what if it's better that you just let _him_ go up to the real Lazy Susan and ask her out? I don't think it's nice to change how Grunkle Stan lives solely on how it _might_ attract a woman."

Mabel paused for a moment, taking in her sister's advice, before exclaiming. "Nah!" She continued pulling her sister forward."Come on Evie, Wendy's also helping me with this! I need you to help analyse Grunkle Stan's behaviour while he talks to fake Lazy Susan!"

She dragged her sister into the living room, ignoring the fact that Evelyn was putting up some mild resistance. Evelyn was getting _tired_ of people ignoring her advice or cutting her off. Was her opinion _really_ that easy to ignore? The twins used to always ask for her opinion and follow her advice, and now Mabel was trying to do something that will only make Grunkle Stan worse, even when she advised against it, Dipper was off on some 'manly quest' with some stereotypically male manotaurs, and all of her family completely ignored her opinions today! It just made her feel…

' _ **Frustrated?**_ ' Bill supplied calmly, having heard the last part of her thoughts.

'Kind of, yeah.' Evelyn sighed before her necklace calmed her down slightly.

Mabel let go of Evelyn and ran off to get her notepad, while Stan sat in the chair at the table, unaware of what was going on. Evelyn went to stand next to Wendy.

"She dragged you into this too?" Wendy nudged her friend, making Evelyn nod in response.

"Well, she brought me here and I thought 'why not watch my boss try to flirt with my co-worker who's dressed like a woman?' It's better than working, anyway." Wendy explained with a grin, hoping to get her friend out of her bad mood that she could clearly see she was in.

Evelyn laughed at her friends comment, feeling a bit lighter at the redhead's cheerful attitude. "Yeah, it seems to be easier to just go with it."

Mabel walked back in with her stuff and approached Grunkle Stan, who was shuffling some cards.

"Okay, Grunkle Stan. Welcome to the first day of the rest of your life!" Mabel exclaimed. Stan only looked up disinterestedly. "First, a before picture."

Mabel snapped a photo of Stan, the flash surprising him.

"Ahh!" he yelled, making an ugly face. The picture came out and Evelyn went over to her sister to see the photo, which ended up being a horrible picture of Stan.

"I never miss a scrapbookortunity!" she grabbed the picture and opened her scrapbook, passing pictures of Evie being followed by her stalker gnome, Mabel kissing a fish, and Dipper standing beside Wax Stan's body, to a new page and stuck the image on as she sang, "Deedly dum, memories." Once the image was on, she said, "Bleep."

Mabel turned to her great uncle and began explaining her plan. "Let's start out with some role playing. Soos will play Lazy Susan."

She pointed to Soos, who roamed his hands over his torso. "I'm soft, like a woman." Soos commented.

"Grunkle Stan, show me how you approach a woman." Mabel ordered as Stan hesitantly stood up. "Remember this is a safe, non-judgemental environment." She picked up her notepad and pencil, getting ready. "I'll just be right off to the side judging you on a scale from one to ten."

Evelyn frowned as she watched her uncle apprehensively approach Soos. She didn't think that this method of changing her uncle would work.

Honestly she thought her uncle should just ask Lazy Susan straight up if she'd go on a date with him, because she knew that even if Mabel succeeded in temporarily changing her ways, her uncle would be lying his way through the relationship. He wouldn't be himself, and she knew that he'd eventually not be happy. She just wished that Mabel realized that too.

There was a moment of silence as Stan stared at Soos, before he turned his head to the side and spat and then asked, "Can I borrow some money?"

Mabel blew a whistle. "This is gonna be harder than I thought." Mabel sighed.

Wendy looked on in amusement at the scene as Evelyn stood off to the side, feeling torn. It seemed that no one was really listening to her today, and she didn't really want to stick around and watch her sister mess with her uncle. But at the same time, she was worried. _Should_ she leave her sister alone to bother her uncle without Evelyn there as a buffer?

Evelyn realised what she just thought, and suddenly felt annoyed. Why did it _have_ to be _her_ job to be the buffer for Mabel? No one was listening to her anyway. And she'd read most of the Journal, she knew about some areas that would lead to awesome adventures. Why shouldn't she go on one?

Her mind made up, Evelyn began walking out of the room, deciding to pack a small bag of provisions for her adventure.

"Where are you going, Evie?" Mabel called out in confusion.

"I'm going out, just on some adventure of my own." Evelyn replied, stopping to look at Mabel.

"Aww, I wanted you to watch me work my magic on Grunkle Stan!" Mabel complained.

Evelyn sighed. "Maybe some other time, Mabes."

"I'll be back before dark, maybe!" she called to her uncle, who grunted. She waved goodbye to Soos and Wendy, before heading upstairs to pack for her own adventure.

 **-DaLD-**

 **(Warning: LONG Author's Note ahead)**

 **Hey guys! So, I hope this chapter was a success! I've been waiting a while to finally have a solo-Evie adventure, and it feels great to be writing it! You're going to be seeing a bit of what Evie's like without the twins, which will hopefully show her off as an individual, not just a sisterly figure. This adventure's also going to show some light development between Bill and Evie, so yay!**

 **Though I always imagined that Mabel would be a morning person, I think that the stress of being possessed and overdosing on expired candy** _ **might**_ **make someone want to sleep in more, so I decided to add that little tidbit.**

 **This episode is going to show Evelyn dealing with the idea that her siblings won't always go to her with advice, and that they'll want to do their own thing. It will be a bit of a shock to Evelyn, who's always coddled them and told them what to do. She's definitely going to be feeling ignored by her family, so you'll get to see some of the inner workings of her mind, and maybe even some hints about her past and how she copes.**

 **I imagine that Evelyn's reacting so negatively to Mabel's attempt to change Stan's image for Susan is because she knows what it's like to have someone you trust and love tell you that you're not good enough as you are, even if Mabel's not doing that in such an extreme way. For Evie, just the fact that Mabel thinks Stan can't get the girl the way he is brings up some negative memories of her own. Add that to the fact that Mabel isn't accepting Evie's advice like she usually does, and you have a hurt and confused Evie on what Bill would most likely call a 'suicide mission'.**

 **Dipper's little fight with Evelyn was a long time coming. Though he's grown up with Evelyn there to baby him, this incident with the Manliness Tester really wounded his pride and made him want to lash out, even if it's at Evelyn. But everything will hopefully be resolved. Or will it?**

 **I know this chapter didn't have too much action, but it was just kind of setting the stage. So don't worry, I'm definitely going to have action in this adventure. It wouldn't be Evie if there wasn't some random fight!**

 **Now to answer a few reviews:**

 **First, to Guest, I know what you mean. I imagine them as anime characters sometimes too.**

 **To tkb0: I can promise that Evelyn won't be using Bill's abilities very often. Other than her headache, it takes a lot out of him to do so, so he won't be offering help every time she gets in trouble.**

 **To Cinnabon6: It would be easy, but he has reasons for not wanting her to do the incantation that will be revealed in the future.**

 **To CharitinaX: Thank you for giving this story a try! I'm glad you're enjoying it.**

 **To redvinatge888: I understand where you're coming from, and don't worry, Bill won't be in human form all the time. He'll have a reason to be human, but Evelyn won't really care either way. She's been interacting with him as just a voice in her head, so there will be more depth to their relationship than just being attractive.**

 **To Kristen Lyn Silver: thank you for your support! You're awesome!**

 **And lastly, to pseudo21: There will be plenty of guys that will make a move on Evie in the future, so you'll see Bill's varying reactions to it more often!**

 **I you like to say thank you to everyone who has been supporting this story so far, and please favourite, follow and/or review! Please ignore my grammar mistakes and I apologize for this lengthy Author's Note! I'll try to shorten them in the future. Have an amazing day! –Aria**

 **(I don't own Gravity Falls)**


	19. Chapter XVIII: Evelyn vs The Dead (p2)

Once Evelyn had packed snacks, a water bottle, rope, a flashlight and a sunhat, she left the Shack.

She was excited to be out, doing her own thing for once. As she walked through the forest, she thought about which creature she wanted to find. Though she wanted an adventure, she didn't want to fight something that was huge and monstrous for her first adventure. She'd _like_ to come home when she said she would.

She suddenly remembered one page that she'd found in the Journal that had interested her. It was a page on an abandoned factory that was supposed to be haunted by a spirit that mainly targeted men. Apparently even the Author couldn't stay inside; otherwise he'd have lost his life.

So Evelyn decided she'd check it out herself. She wasn't a man, so she most likely wouldn't be a target, and maybe she could convince the spirit to stop taking people and help it move on. She thought it was worth the try.

' _ **Wait, you're going on a ghost hunt to track down a homicidal ghost,**_ _ **alone**_ _ **?**_ ' Bill yelled.

'I'm not alone, I have you.' She stated simply, grinning.

' _ **I'm a being that currently only exists in your mind! How am I supposed to protect you from fatal injuries?!**_ ' Bill ranted. ' _ **Turn around, right now, Little Bird! Before you do something you'll regret.**_ '

'Says the voice in my head.' Evelyn thought, unperturbed by her companion's ire.

'Hey, you can still hear me when I talk out loud, right?' she asked, suddenly struck with that question. She vaguely remembered him doing something along those lines, but after his energy had been drained protecting her, she didn't want to take a chance and speak when he wouldn't hear her.

' _ **Of course I can. You just choose to not look crazy normally.**_ ' Bill muttered, still annoyed as she continued her trek through the forest.

"Thank god no one's here then." She said aloud.

' _ **You just like annoying me by being reckless.**_ ' Bill complained. ' _ **Do you even know where this factory is anyway?**_ '

"There were directions in the Journal." She replied. "It said that the factory was a right turn from a large oak with a strange carving in it." She pointed at said large tree as she approached it. "I remember finding this a while ago with Dipper when we went on a nature walk."

She continued walking with a small smile, ignoring Bill's grumbling as she trekked onwards.

-DaLD-

About half an hour of walking later, she approached the factory building. It was old and decrepit looking, with broken windows and overgrown grass. There were visible cracks in the structure, and Evelyn could just make out an old sign that said, ' _Torres & Co., Gravity Falls Manufacturing'_ on the front facing wall.

Evelyn hesitated as she approached the dilapidated building, feeling uneasy.

' _ **Are you going to turn back now?**_ ' Bill questioned.

His words filled her with resolve. "No." she astutely replied. "I'm sticking to this. Besides, this could be fun."

And so she walked towards the worn down building with Bill mentally in tow.

-DaLD-

Once she managed to break enough of the wooden barricade that covered the entrance, she carefully opened the ancient door, its hinges creaking from disuse.

As she stepped into the abandoned factory, Evelyn gazed in shock at the level of decay the building had undergone. The wooden floors in some parts of the building had parts missing, and others were clearly rotten. There was the faint smell of decay coming from the peeling wallpaper in the foyer that she'd found herself in.

' _ **Jeez, talk about letting a place go.**_ ' Bill commented snarkily.

"It certainly _looks_ creepy." Evelyn added, glancing at the old graffiti. Some of the graffiti cut off abruptly, as though the vandalizer had stopped midway.

Evelyn shivered at the thought, stepping hesitantly around the large, cavernous building. Past the foyer and main desk was a winding staircase and upper hallway was made out of wood, and Evelyn could spot a hallway to her left that led to what was no doubt the actual factory, since she could just make out old machinery in that direction.

Evelyn paused once she reached the staircase, torn. Should she head up the stairs, or should she check the factory itself. After a moment of deliberation, Evelyn took a deep breath and called "Hello?"

' _ **What are you doing?! Are you trying to die?!**_ ' Bill yelled in her head.

"I want to communicate with the spirit, _not_ slink around and hide from it. Trying to talk seems like a good step make."

She paused for a moment but didn't end up hearing anything, so she called out again. Still no response. Evelyn huffed and called out, her voice carrying all the way to the second floor hallway. "Hello? Anybody here?!"

A sudden feeling of dread hit her, like a bucket of ice being poured down her back, and she froze.

"Uh oh…" she murmured, recalling the pages on ghosts and the signs of the more powerful ones.

' _ **Yeah, uh oh. What were you thinking, Little Bird?!**_ ' Bill said angrily. ' _ **Look, just call it a day and get the he-!**_ '

She was pulled from his rant by a light that appeared on the second floor, just barely seen in the corner of her eye. She looked fully in the direction she saw the light, and gasped. Only a few feet away from the stairs, on the upper level, stood a pale, glowing young woman. It was hard to tell what the hair colour was, since she was a ghost, but it looked like it was dark. The ghost was silent and wore a torn dress. It had its back turned to Evelyn, completely ignoring the teen.

The ghost began to walk off, shaking Evelyn out of her shock at seeing a spirit.

"Wait, please!" She cried as she rushed up the staircase. "I only want to talk!"

But the ghost still ignored her, seeming to begin walking even faster, though she still wasn't fast enough to get away from the living brunette.

Evelyn finally made it to the upper level, almost reaching for the ghost as she continued to run. "Please! Wait! I don't mean any harm!"

' _ **Don't go chasing**_ _ **after**_ _ **the ghost! Get to safer ground!**_ ' Bill tried to get her attention.

'What do you mean, safer grou-!' Evelyn cut off with a cry as the ground bellow her seemed to give away, sending her plummeting into a black hole.

The last thing she remembered before everything went dark was Bill yelling and the image of the ghost standing above the hole, staring down at her with impassive eyes.

 **-DaLD-**

 **Oh my, what is this? Two updates in the span of two days?! Impossible!**

 **Hey guys, I hope you enjoyed this incredibly short chapter. I normally have longer chapters, but I'm about to go on a road trip and this was all I could finish before we leave, so I hope it doesn't disappoint anyone.**

 **I'm going to be away for the next two weeks, but on Sunday I'll be getting my laptop back so I may be able to write another chapter during my vacation. If I can't just know that I'll still be working on future chapters in my notebook.**

 **Anyway, a quick little note on this chapter: for those who are slightly disappointed that Evie didn't go battle Squash with human faces and emotions or something, I promise there will be episodes in the future that will have her battle something new. I made her hunt ghosts because, in her mind, she's already seen a spirit (back at the convenience store), so she believes that she'll be able to take care of herself on this adventure. But** _ **can**_ **she protect herself?**

 **Also, a huge thank you goes out to everyone that has reviewed so far! Your comments are very sweet and I always get excited when I get the review notification. As promised, this Author's Note is shorter than the last one, and I feel accomplished.**

 **Please follow, favourite and/or review! I hope you guys have a beautiful day! And please ignore any spelling mistakes I may have made. No flames, s'il vous plait. Bye! - Aria**

 **Now time for a 14 hour drive!**

 **(Disclaimer: Gravity Falls is not mine.)**

 **Evelyn makes a friend and deals with her inner demons. (cipher)**


	20. Chapter XIX: Evelyn vs The Dead (p 3)

Evelyn woke a while later to the sound of Bill's frantic yelling. ' _ **Little Bird! WAKE UP!**_ '

She groaned and pried her eyes open only to realize that there was barely any light in wherever she was. Only a few rays of incredibly dim light came from a hole above her. There was the smell of rotting in the air, causing her to wrinkle her nose.

She felt a pain in the back of her head and rubbed it slightly, wincing. "Where… am I?" she murmured, looking around in the darkness.

' _ **Little Bird… you remember what happened, right?**_ ' Bill asked, trying to mask the worry in his tone.

Images flashed by in Evelyn's head. Being ignored by her family, going on a ghost hunt, entering the factory… and chasing a ghost, the one who watched her fall.

"Yeah." She mumbled, feeling sore from her fall.

Now that she though about it, Evelyn realised that the ghost could have been _purposefully_ leading her down the hallway, most likely _knowing_ that there was a hole that she could fall in.

"Well, that wasn't nice of her." Evelyn frowned, the severity of the situation not quite hitting her yet.

' _ **What were you thinking?!**_ ' Bill snapped. ' _ **I'd expect something on that level of idiocy from Pine Tree or Shooting Star, but you?!**_ '

"Hey! Don't criticize my siblings!" Evelyn huffed, still daze.

' _ **How can you be so… impulsive?!**_ ' he shouted.

"I tend to be an impulsive person at times." Evelyn tried to explain. "The only reason I'm not normally like this is because I try to be cautious when I'm with Dipper and Mabel. I don't want them to get hurt and, let's face it, when it comes to an adventure, they're more impulsive than I am."

Bill sighed. ' _ **Well, that was a stupid move. Be more cautious when you try to chase a homicidal spirit, okay? I don't want you to get killed before we meet face to face.**_ '

Evelyn snorted at his words and felt along the floor for her stuff.

After a moment of searching blindly, her hands wrapped around the handle of her flashlight, and she cried, "Eureka!"

She quickly turned it on, only to recoil in fear as she screamed at the sight before her.

Leaning against the filthy wall in front of her was a skeleton. It still had a few strands of mangled hair attached to it's skull and was wearing a torn yellow dress. The head still had some strands of hair on it, and a necklace with a ring hung upon was around the skeleton's neck.

' _ **Well, that explains the smell.**_ ' Bill said.

Evelyn scrambled away from the corpse, still quivering in fear.

' _ **Look around the room for a way out.**_ ' Bill advised, realising that she was currently in shock. ' _ **Come on Little Bird. Don't you want to get out?**_ '

She nodded shakily and began to shine the beam around the room.

There was a table with different jars on it, some empty and some full. There were papers scattered all over the table and floor, and two old wooden filing cabinets on either side.

Evelyn stood up and turned around to see what she'd been leaning against, hoping it wasn't more decomposing corpses.

To her relief, she'd landed on some cushions that came from the moth eaten couch.

"This must have been a breakroom or someone's office." She guessed, grimacing when she saw the clear signs of decay in the room.

She found her bag by her feet and picked it up, feeling relieved.

Evelyn's flashlight illuminated an old, rusty door, making Evelyn sigh in relief. She ran to the door, only to stop as she grabbed the handle due to the sound of footsteps coming from the other side of the door.

Though a part of her wanted to cry for help to the footsteps, Evelyn realised that it was unlikely someone living was actually there, meaning that it might be the spirit that attacked her. So she waited as she heard the steps approach the door. She felt the door handle begin to turn underneath her hand, so she quickly clutched it tighter, hoping to halt its turning.

The handle stopped turning after a moment and Evelyn quickly let go, taking a few steps back as she stared at the door apprehensively. It was silent for a moment… before the door burst open and a ghost came hurtling at her. It was the spirit of a young man, who was wearing clothing that would fit in during the 1900s. his face was twisted in a snarl as he charged at her.

Evelyn flinched and tried to get away, narrowly avoiding the arms of the ghost boy as he crashed through the cabinet. He quickly came back and faced her, growling.

Evelyn ran towards the door, needing to get out of the small space.

' _ **Hurry! You're about to become another corpse in his collection if you don't run faster!**_ ' Bill yelled.

She was halfway through the door when the sound of a fight pulled her attention back to the room.

' _ **Don't stop and look! Just thank the multiverse and run!**_ '

But curiosity held her back. Evelyn quickly turned back around to see the ghost man was being fought off by a ghost woman who looked to be around her own age. The ghost seemed to be pleading with the feral spirit as she fought him off.

" _Please, William! Listen to me!_ " she begged. " _This is not who you are! You're better than this!_ "

But William didn't seem to understand as he continued to try to attack Evelyn. Finally, the she-ghost seemed to get the upper hand and pushed him forcefully through the wall. After an anxious moment, the ghost didn't return, making both Evelyn and the female spirit breathe a sigh of relief.

" _He's gone._ " The ghost mumbled.

"But where did he go?" Evelyn asked hesitantly.

Despite the fact that the young woman in front of her was clearly a spirit, she seemed trustworthy, since she fought off 'William', so she decided to ask the ghost for answers.

" _He's most likely going back to report to Cara._ " The ghost answered, hatred seeping in her tone when she said the other woman's name.

"Wait… Is Cara the ghost that tricked me into falling down the hole?" Evelyn questioned.

" _I'm afraid so. Cara is a very vengeful spirit who no longer hesitates in trying to kill trespassers._ " The spirit seemed to be deep in unwanted memories. " _She controls all of her male victims somehow, making them nothing more than mindless soldiers._ "

"Oh." Evelyn replied.

The ghost glanced back at the living young woman behind her. " _Were you harmed?_ "

"No, other than a few cuts and bruise from my fall, I'm fine." Evelyn winced as she rubbed her sore arm. "Thanks for helping me by the way." Evelyn smiled, gratefulness shining her eyes.

" _You're welcome._ " The ghost smiled lightly. " _I have made it my duty to try to save as many living people as I can._ " Her smile saddened. " _I am not usually successful. I have only managed to save one other man, who once came in here in the pursuit of knowledge. He was a strange man._ " She shook her head. " _But that was over thirty years ago, I believe._ "

"What's your name?" Evelyn asked.

" _My name is Lisa._ " Lisa smiled once more at the living teen. " _And what is your name?_ "

"I'm Evelyn Pines." Evelyn said, grinning at her saviour. "But you can call me Evie."

" _Well, it's nice to meet you, Evie._ " Lisa looked at the red-eyed young woman, before murmuring to herself, " _Pines… where have I heard that name before?_ "

Evelyn, who hadn't heard the last part, replied easily. "It's nice to meet you too."

" _Now tell me, what made one of the living such as you come to this wretched place?_ " Lisa questioned, confused.

"Well, I originally just wanted an adventure. But then I thought 'why don't I try to help the angry spirit that's been killing people move on?'" Evelyn shrugged. "It seemed like a good idea at the time, but I didn't even have a chance to properly speak to her before I was almost killed. I guess it was slightly impulsive of me."

Lisa blinked. " _You wanted to come to a factory you_ _ **knew**_ _people had died in to try to help the spirits inside?!_ "

' _ **It was a crazy idea, Little Bird.**_ ' Bill ranted. ' _ **Even Ghost Girl over here agrees!**_ '

"Well, yeah." Evelyn sighed. "I just wanted to do something helpful on my own, but now I'm stuck."

" _I can help you out._ " Lisa offered. " _One of the things that is keeping me here is my desire to help someone escape my fate. Perhaps this will help me move on!_ "

The teen brightened at the thought. She could at least help _someone_ today! "Sure! So which way brings me upstairs?" Evelyn poked her head out of the doorway, glancing around the mildew, dark hallway.

" _Um…_ " Evelyn glanced back to see that Lisa was hesitating and became slightly concerned.

"What is it?" Evelyn asked.

" _If it's not too much trouble, could you do one thing for me? It might help me move on a bit easier…_ "

"Okay, what is it?" Evelyn still wanted to be helpful, and the spirit in front of her _had_ just saved her life.

" _Well…_ " Lisa paused before her shoulders hunched and she continued. " _On my body… I was wearing a necklace. It would mean the world to me if you could take it and bury it somewhere far away from this place._ "

"As much as I want to help you, how would I even find your body?" Evelyn asked. Se didn't want to ransack _anyone's_ corpse, but at the same time… this ghost had saved her and Evelyn knew that if she were to switch places with Lisa, she would do be so happy if someone would grant her request.

" _My body is still in the room._ " Lisa replied, gesturing at the skeleton in the corner.

Evelyn's eyes widened as she glanced between the glowing spirit in front of her and the skeleton in the room, starting to see the similarities. Lisa's spirit was wearing a dress that looked remarkably like the shabby, yellow dress on the corpse, they both were wearing the same necklace and the hair strands that she could see somewhat matched the light coloured hair Lisa's spirit had.

Lisa's shoulders' slumped, taking Evelyn's silence as a no. " _I understand that it is a lot to ask you, so I'm fine with you not doing-"_

Evelyn cut her off. "No, it's fine… I-I'll do it."

Evelyn hesitantly approached the skeleton as Lisa smiled at her, non-existent tears showing in her eyes. " _Oh, thank you_!"

Evelyn took a deep breath before she kneeled beside the corpse, trying not to gag at the rancid stench emanating from the pile of bones and rotten flesh.

'Don't think about it, don't think about it…' Evelyn thought, scrunching her eyes shut as she began to reach for the necklace around the skeleton's neck.

' _ **If you need a distraction, I could give you one!**_ ' Bill commented, having sensed her obvious distress.

'What would it be?'

' _ **Well, I was once in a universe where the human race had all their bodily functions swapped!**_ ' he exclaimed brightly.

Her hand was around the clasp, and she shivered in disgust before focusing on Bill's story, hoping that it would distract her from her gruesome task.

' _ **Everyone walked on their hands, so as payback for trying to cheat me, I made the surface of their entire planet unbearably hot, so every step was permanently agonising!**_ ' Bill laughed.

'Why are you proud of that?!' Evelyn mentally exclaimed. 'That's horrible!'

' _ **It got you through the necklace thing though.**_ ' Bill pointed out.

Evelyn looked at her hands. Sure enough, the necklace lay in her open palm, still somewhat shiny despite the years of wear. 'I must have taken it off while Bill talked.' She realized. She felt a surge of gratitude for her bodiless companion.

'Bill,' she thought, 'thank you!'

' _ **Anytime, Little Bird.**_ ' She could _hear_ the smugness in his tone. ' _ **Consider things like this a freebie for my favourite human.**_ '

Evelyn just smiled at his comment and turned to Lisa to display the necklace victoriously.

"I have it!" Evelyn exclaimed.

" _That's wonderful! Oh thank you!_ " Lisa gushed before heading to the door. " _Come on, I'll guide you out of here._ "

Evelyn slipped the necklace into her pocket and, after lightly touching her own triangle shaped pendant absentmindedly, she quickly followed her ghost guide out of the room.

They quietly moved through the mildew, dark hallway, before Evelyn decided to break the silence.

"So, um, I saw that there was a ring on your necklace. Was that your mothers'?" Evelyn questioned, curious yet hesitant to bring up the spirit's past.

Lisa smiled fondly at the memories the necklace gave. " _No, it was a promise ring from my childhood sweetheart, William._ "

"Wait, William… you mean the ghost man that attacked me?" Evelyn realised.

" _Yes._ " Lisa's smile slipped off her ghostly face. " _He wasn't always like that, you know._ " Lisa glanced at Evelyn, before gazing ahead of her. " _He was an incredibly kind, sweet boy who always did the most adorable things to make me smile._ "

Her eyes glazed over with the memories currently zooming through her mind. " _He took me out for a romantic picnic under the stars, and we laid there for hours._ " Her eyes became sad. " _…That was the day I died._ "

"You don't have to tell me!" Evelyn broke in. "I don't want to invade your personal life- well, past-life."

She chuckled weakly, feeling slightly uneasy. She wasn't exactly a social butterfly that was adept to dealing with a stranger's issues; she didn't know how to handle the strange situation she'd found herself in with the admittedly kind spirit.

Lisa laughed. " _No, I want someone to know my story in case I… move on._ " Lisa turned back to look down the hallway and resumed her story. " _After our picnic, William and I got lost. We stumbled upon this factory and William said he saw a light in one of the windows, and that perhaps someone inside could tell us the way back home. The place wasn't in such a state of disrepair then."_ She gestured to the rotting walls. " _It once looked only slightly worn down. The door was unlocked, so we went in. We called out, but no one answered. William decided that we should check the room he saw the light in, so we walked up to the second floor hallway. The hallway you fell from._ " She cast a rueful glance at Evelyn before continuing. " _It was in that hallway that we saw Cara._ " Lisa took a shaky, yet unnecessary breath. " _She had her back to us. William called out to her, and I swear she tensed at his voice before she quickly turned around and went to attack William, completely ignoring me._

" _William threw his arm out to push me behind him, but the floor was weak. I went crashing down, all the way into the cellar, and unlike your soft landing on the pillow, my head hit the wall and my neck snapped._ "

Evelyn gasped, horrified. "So that hole I fell down…" she whispered.

" _It was caused by my body, yes._ " Lisa sighed. " _That night was the last time I saw my William alive and normal. He died only a minute after me, and his ghost is… well you saw what he was like._ "

Evelyn nodded, slowly piecing together Lisa's story and what little she knew about Cara. "What year did you die in?"

" _I died in 1910. I was born January 12_ _th_ _, 1892._ " Lisa replied.

Evelyn realised something that had stood out to her in Lisa's backstory. "Lisa… you said that Cara ignored you and only went for William?"

" _Yes._ " Answered Lisa, looking confused by her question.

"And she didn't actually lay a hand on me… She didn't attack me or pushed me. She just watched as I did it to myself." Evelyn's eyes widened and she turned to Lisa urgently. "Lisa, has she _ever_ actually hurt or killed a girl herself?"

Lisa thought for a moment, poking her bottom lip. " _I don't believe so… why?_ "

Evelyn looked at her ghostly companion excitedly. "Then that means there still might be a way to reach her! I just need to figure out her story…"

" _ **What**_ _ **?!**_ " Bill and Lisa exclaimed, unknowingly speaking in unison.

' _ **Are you crazy, Little Bird?! Just get out of here and call it a day!**_ ' Bill yelled, his tone one of disbelief.

" _Why would you want to stay?! You should leave this place and live a happy,_ _ **long**_ _life!_ " Lisa exclaimed, shocked by the brunette's rash decision.

As they reached the door at the end of the rotten hallway, Evelyn turned to look Lisa in the eyes. "But I can't leave here. I came here on a mission, and I need to see it through."

Lisa sighed, exasperated with the red-eyed teen. " _You are not a normal girl, are you?_ "

"Nope!" Evelyn grinned, popping the 'p'.

" _Well, this staircase,_ " she pointed at the door in front of them. " _leads to the second floor corridor. It's the worker's staircase. Don't decide to stay to help until you're close to the exit. You might just change your mind._ "

Evelyn opened it to reveal a tiny, rusted over metal staircase that was completely enclosed in darkness. She turned on her flashlight and began her ascent, Lisa following from behind.

Bill spoke up. ' _ **You're playing with fire, Little Bird. The supernatural are not easily taken care of. They don't play by the same rules.**_ '

Evelyn mentally sighed. 'Bill, I need to see this through. I want to help. I don't want anyone else to die here.'

' _ **You're going to get yourself killed if you continue meddling one day.**_ ' Bill muttered seriously.

'Then I died helping someone else. That seems like a good way to go.' She rebuked.

' _ **So you'd leave Shooting Star and Pine Tree alone?**_ _'_ he questioned, knowing that would make her pause.

He was right.

At his words, Evelyn almost physically stopped, but forced herself to continue. She imagined the twins faces if they found out she'd died, and her heart clenched. Her necklace sent a wave of comfort, knowing that just the idea of their pain hurt her.

'I'll…I'll be careful. If things get too intense, I'll try to find a way out.'

Feeling that that was the only compromise she'd give him at the moment, Bill decided to take what he could get.

' _ **Fine,**_ ' he sighed. ' _ **I'll take it.**_ '

Evelyn finally reached the door at the end of the stairs, and glanced at Lisa. Once her ghost companion nodded, Evelyn carefully opened the door and walked into a somewhat brighter hallway, the same hallway she'd fallen from earlier.

" _The exit is just down that staircase. Be careful where you step._ " Lisa reminded her.

Evelyn had walked halfway down the dimly lit corridor, when a door that was cracked open lightly got her attention. 'The spirit seems to show up a lot in this hallway and right by this door. What if there are some clues to Cara's past down here?' she thought to herself.

Lisa saw her opening the door and hissed quietly, " _What are you doing?! The door is down the stairs, not in that room!_ "

"I need to find out about Cara's past if I want to help her move on." Evelyn whispered back.

Before Lisa could protest, Evelyn slipped into the room. Lisa sighed and followed her in, floating through the door after her wayward charge.

The room Evelyn found herself in was much brighter than the previous parts of the building she'd been in., probably due to the fact that the window, though grimy, was letting sunlight in.

The wallpaper looked incredibly old and was peeling off in certain parts. There was a large oak desk that still held some dusty papers and fountain tip pens. Old paintings and portraits hung on the walls.

Evelyn walked towards the desk and began carefully sorting through the papers on it as Lisa watched in bewilderment.

" _So, do you do this often?_ " she asked. " _You go to haunted buildings and solve mysteries?_ "

"Well, this summer I've done it more than I'd like to admit." Evelyn shrugged, continuing her perusal of the papers. They were mostly involving taxes and deficits for the old manufacturing plant.

As she sorted through the papers, Lisa's interest in the brunette caused her to voice her thoughts. " _You are a strange girl._ "

"I hope I'm strange in a good way." Evelyn joked lightly, still searching through the large stack of parchment before her.

" _I meant it in a good way!_ " Lisa was quick to say, hoping her words hadn't offended her companion. If she was alive, there would have been a blush of embarrassment. " _You're just an interesting person. I've always seen that as a good trait in an individual._ "

"Thank you, that's a nice thing to say." Evelyn smiled kindly at her before turning back to the desk.

" _You seem to be fairly mature for your age._ " Lisa commented.

Evelyn smirked lightly. "Yeah, I get that a lot." She shrugged. "I grew up kind of looking after myself, and then looking after my siblings. Since I didn't have too many friends at home, I just had them, so I kind of took over the maternal part of their life instead." She chuckled humorlessly. "I just got into an argument of sorts with them. I guess they're just going to outgrow me."

Seeing that her brunette companion, despite not outwardly expressing it, was bothered by her predicament, Lisa decided to try to cheer the girl up. " _Well, I know that I haven't known you for very long, but I can tell that you would be an amazing older sister._ " Lisa smiled and winked. " _That's from one elder sister to another._ "

Evelyn looked at the spirit with faint surprise, stopping her search momentarily. "You were an older sister?"

Lisa nodded. " _I had a younger sister. She was only younger by three years, but she was always so immature!_ " She laughed at the memories. " _We were always getting into trouble together. Mother told us that proper young women didn't act that way, but my sister always argued that it was a new century, one for us to mold. She was very spirited._ "

"She sounds it." Evelyn chuckled. "I have twin siblings; Dipper and Mabel. They're troublemakers too. I was always cleaning up our cuts and bruises from our adventures."

Lisa laughed once more. " _Our siblings would have gotten along remarkably well!_ "

"They would've." Evelyn smiled wistfully before going back to the desk, knowing she had limited time to search for clues.

If Evelyn was being honest with herself, she was really enjoying Lisa's company. She was kind, a decent listener, and she understood what it was like to be an older sister and see a sibling in the same wat Evelyn did. She didn't mock Evelyn for enjoying her siblings' company, like others had; she'd actually admitted to doing something similar! The brunette knew that she was beginning to see Lisa more as a friend than an acquaintance…

But Evelyn knew that she shouldn't. There was no chance they could actually stay friends, since the spirit wanted to pass on… However, Evelyn already felt that her heart was warming up to the ghost, which was bad news for her.

Evelyn shook herself from her thoughts and focused her attention back on the desk. She paused at the picture frame on the side of the desk and picked it up, wiping the dust off to gaze at the picture.

It was an incredibly old looking black and white photograph, with only two people in the shot. The first was a man that looked to be in his forties, with an impressive moustache and a greedy glint in his eyes. His hair was incredibly dark with a few grey hairs, and he wore and old-fashioned suit.

Beside the severe older man, stood a young woman who was only a few years older than Evelyn herself if she guessed. The girl had similar features to the man; long, dark hair, the same nose, and a similar tanned complexion. The girl was slightly slumped in the photo, her mouth seemed to be turned down into a permanent frown, and her eyes seemed sad.

'He's probably her father,' Evelyn guessed as she stared at the photo, before she froze.

The woman in the picture was identical to Cara!

Evelyn hurriedly took apart the frame to see if there was any writing on the back. Sure enough, in a man's elegant scrawl, was written, ' _Cara and I, June 12, 1889_ '.

Feeling motivated by the clue, Evelyn continued to look through the papers, looking for more information. She found a few signed documents with the name Ricardo Torres, which she understood was the owner of the factory and was most likely Cara's father, given that a photo of them sat on his desk.

She found a note written by Mr. Torres to a man named 'Mr. Allen' that struck her as mysterious. She decided to read it aloud to include Lisa, who looked lost, in her research.

"'Dear Mr. Allen,'" Evelyn recited, "'Things have become progressively worse ever since my darling Cara passed away a few months ago. Workers have gone missing, and the machines are being tampered with. I fear that if this continues, I may need to close down the factory. Your advice would be most appreciated. Best regards, Mr. Ricardo Torres.' January 5th, 1890."

" _What does that mean?_ " Lisa asked.

"It means that Cara's been here for a long time, and has been killing people since she died." Evelyn replied grimly. "But why?"

She began rifling through the drawers until she found a small stack of letters and the clipping of a newspaper article.

As she looked through the letters, she realised that several were from Cara to her father. She began to read aloud. "'Dearest father,'" she began, "'I am sorry that I cannot help you further than with these notes while I am away at Grandmama's, but I do have some advice about that new business deal with the Lucien Brothers and Co. I do not believe that you should agree to their offer without making a few adjustments. Increase the price for each shipping of our goods by O.50$ and make each shipment size smaller, so that we make more money.

"'Also, there was a problem with machine four before I left. It was burning the worker that was using it and was giving him a nasty cough, presumably from gas inhalation. Please invest some money to fix it, for it would make less problems for us in the future.

"'You haven't responded to my previous letter, so I assume you are busy. I cannot wait to see you again next week. Hope you are well, Your Cara.'"

"The rest of the letters are from Cara too. Seems like she was the real brains behind the business." Evelyn noted as she studied the other letters.

She paused as she gazed at the article, her eyes widening in horror and realization as she gazed at the yellowing paper.

"Oh my god…" Evelyn gasped.

" _What? What did you find?_ " Lisa questioned.

Instead of answering, Evelyn read the article she held out loud. "Woman dies in the Torres Factory. The town was in shock at the sudden demise of young Cara Torres, daughter of factory owner, Ricardo Torres. Ms. Torres (21) was found dead in the factory yesterday morning by a writer who worked at the machine she died by.

"'Police say Ms. Torres died by either burns or inhalation of toxic gases that were excreting from the machine. Police are inspecting the possibility of foul play by examining the machine to make sure it was not tampered with.

"'Mr. Torres has shut himself in his office as he mourns his only child and has made no comment about the current case.'"

" _Oh my…_ " Lisa gasped.

"Well, I found _some_ clues about Cara. But why does she hate men? …Was she actually murdered?" Evelyn questioned.

She glanced out of the window to see that the sun was starting to set, and sighed.

Lisa looked up and realizing the same thing, gasped. " _You must hurry! The spirits in the factory become much more active at night_."

"Okay, I found what I needed…" Evelyn put all the papers back and turned to Lisa. "Let's go."

As they walked back out into the hallway, Lisa turned to Evelyn and opened her mouth to speak, before her ghostly cheeks tinted and she looked away.

"What is it, Lisa?" Evelyn asked knowingly. She was used to people avoiding questions around her.

" _Well, it's just…your eyes…are a, um, interesting colour._ " She said. " _I noticed them before, but I thought it would be rude to comment._ "

"Good interesting or bad interesting?" she smiled, joking.

" _Oh, it's a good interesting, for sure!_ " Lisa said hastily, hoping she hadn't offended her new friend.

Evelyn laughed. "Well, you'd be one of the first to think so." She looked down with a sad smile. "Most people think I'm…strange…because of my eye colour."

" _But there are people who accept you, correct?_ " Lisa asked worriedly. She didn't want to find out that the brunette had no one but her siblings.

"Yeah, I suppose. There's my Grunkle Stan, Mabel, Dipper, Wendy and even Soos. My parents… they've gotten used to it, I guess." She shrugged.

' _ **There's also me, obviously.**_ ' Bill added.

'What?'

' _ **Well, I clearly don't mind your eye colour. It makes you different than other humans. I think you might fit in better in my dimension.**_ ' He explained jokingly.

Luckily, Evelyn was saved from revealing more of her past to either of them once they reached the exit.

"Looks like this is it." Evelyn said, turning to face her ghostly friend with a smile.

" _So it is._ " Lisa returned the smile. " _It was lovely getting to know you, Evelyn._ "

"It was nice to meet you too. Thank you so much for your help." Evelyn said, incredibly grateful.

" _And thank you for helping me move on._ "

"Anytime." Evelyn grinned and the two shared a laugh.

" _Can I ask you to do just two more things for me?_ " Lisa asked hesitantly.

"Of course!" Evelyn exclaimed.

" _My little sister…her name was Penelope Nellson. Could you place some daisies on her grave for me? They were her favourite._ "

"Sure." Evelyn smiled.

" _And you are going to come back, right?_ " At Evelyn's nod, Lisa continued. " _I want you to take care of yourself. Though I've only known you for an hour or so, I already see you as a dear friend and I would hate for you to share in my fate. Live as I never could, alright?_ "

Evelyn's eyes prickled with tears at her words, but she held them back. "I promise I will."

She turned to open the door, when Lisa stopped her once more. " _I don't want to ask you this, but I feel I must; if the chance arises, and you succeed in helping Cara, could you please try to save William?_ "

Evelyn smiled softly at the kind spirit. "I'll do my best to help him."

Lisa smiled in relief. " _Thank you so much._ "

As she began to fade, her voice becoming quieter and quieter, she managed to say one last thing. " _Goodbye Evelyn._ "

Once she was gone, Evelyn slid out of the crack in the door and leaned against the cracked wall outside for a moment, letting out a sad sigh.

' _ **Well, you can cross 'getting a ghost friend' off your bucket list.**_ ' Bill said, trying to lighten the heavy mood.

Evelyn just slid down the wall and pulled her knees to her chest, staring at the ground blankly. Somehow, despite knowing that Lisa would move on, a part of her, the irrational part that longed to have friends, had still gotten close to the spirit Lisa. The spirit was one of her first friends that had been around her age, and was someone that tried to make her feel better… and now that she was gone…

' _ **Hey, lighten up.**_ ' Bill sounded slightly uneasy by her silence. ' _ **Look Little Bird, you just helped her feel peace for the first time since she died. That's… a good thing you did.**_ ' Bill coughed unnecessarily, before continuing. ' _ **So how about you finish your promise, huh?**_ '

Evelyn smiled and wiped her eyes, understanding that he was trying to comfort her. 'Thanks, Bill.'

She quickly got up and dusted herself off.

She heard a groaning sound emanate from the factory and quickly sprinted from the building. Once she reached the treeline, she heard an unearthly shriek and turned around to face the factory from the safety of the trees.

The windows of the factory were rattling as the scream continued, as if someone was violent, shaking them from the inside. For a split moment, Evelyn saw Cara glaring at her from the window before the ghost slammed her hand on the glass, leaving behind a noticeable handprint as she disappeared.

Evelyn sighed in relief, glad she'd made it out of the house, and began her trek back home. She'd wandered for only a few minutes when a tiny blur crossed her path.

' _ **What was that?**_ ' Bill questioned.

Evelyn glanced at the side to see the tiny figure of a gnome peeking from a bush. Once she made eye contact, the gnome blushed and ducked back into the woods.

'Just my stalker gnome.' Evelyn answered mentally, knowing that if she spoke aloud it would frighten the gnome.

' _ **You have a gnome stalking you?**_ ' Bill sounded incredulous and slightly annoyed. ' _ **First a Manotaur flirts with you, then a gnome watches you wherever you go? What's next, Sasquatch is you best friend?**_ '

'You're one to talk, Mr. Disembodied voice in my head.' Evelyn rebuked, trying to ignore her sadness for the more light-hearted conversation with Bill.

' _ **So, where are you going now? We're going in the wrong direction to get to your uncle's Shack, Little Bird.**_ ' Bill pointed out.

Knowing she was now far enough from the gnome, Evelyn replied out loud. "I know we're going the wrong way, but I found a willow tree in this area that would be a good place to bury Lisa's necklace before the sun goes down completely."

' _ **Alright then, lead the way Little Bird.**_ '

They spent the rest of their journey in silence, mulling over the events of the day.

-DaLD-

Not too long later, Evelyn reached a small clearing. In it, surrounded by tall grass, wild flowers and some wild mushrooms, grew one large willow tree, which was strange to see growing in the middle of a forest that consisted mainly of pines. Evelyn assumed that someone must have planted it.

She quietly made her way towards the tree, the only sound in the clearing being the crickets hiding in the tall grass. She stopped in front of the willow and kneeled down, trying to find the perfect place to make a shallow hole for her friend's memorial.

She found the perfect spot between two roots and began digging, getting dirt under her short fingernails as she dug, but she didn't care.

Even Bill stayed silent as she focused single-mindedly on her task, realizing that snarky commentary would likely mess everything up.

Evelyn finished digging her small hole just as the sunset began to wash over the clearing. She carefully took the necklace from her short's pocket and examined it in the dimming light, her eyes solemn.

Though the chain was old and worn, it still shone lightly, and she could see that it was once s beautiful silver. The ring itself had a simple design, a golden band with a tiny diamond on it.

Evelyn took a deep breath and carefully placed the necklace in the hole. She quietly covered it with the dirt until all that was left was a small pile of freshly turned dirt. Nobody would notice the small grave, except for her and Bill.

Frowning, Evelyn glanced around until she found a relatively large stone and got up to pick it up. She lugged it over and placed the stone behind the grave to be a marker. After that, she dusted her hands off and picked up a few wild flowers, placing them on the fresh grave.

"Lisa…" Evelyn began quietly, looking down at the handmade grave, "I know that we didn't know each other for very long, but from just today I know that you were a selfless person, in life and in death... you were brave and kind, someone who loves unconditionally even when logic tells you not to." She paused, thinking about William. "I promise to do everything in my power to reunite you with William, and I'll visit this grave as often as I can.

"I want to thank you for not only saving my life, but showing me kindness and being someone I could consider a friend." She took a shuddering breath, trying to reign in her emotions. "May you rest in peace."

She cut herself off, covering her mouth to stop crying as her shoulders shook unconsciously. Tears spilled from her eyes and fell onto the grave.

The stress and shock that she'd held back all day, coupled by the sorrow she felt due to arguing with her siblings and losing a new friend caused Evelyn to feel overwhelmed and, for the first time in a while, she began to cry. She tried stifling her ragged breaths, wanting to be as silent as possible.

' _ **Hey, Little Bird,**_ ' Bill began, sounding uncomfortable. ' _ **Don't cry. You served your purpose! Your ghost friend is happy in the afterlife and you**_ _ **weren't**_ _ **killed by a ghost today! That's as successful as it gets.**_ '

"Yeah, I helped her, I served my purpose…" she choked out, curling up into a ball, "but what about me? Why is it always me that helps someone else, when I almost never get anything in return?" she remembered all the adventures of the summer, all the injuries she'd gotten following her siblings, all the times she'd become mildly traumatized by something. Heck, she now had a fear of heights thanks to her fall during the Gideon incident!

She did everything she could for her siblings, and she didn't regret that, but when would someone truly do something for her?

"I just… I wanted to help someone and for _once_ get something out of it. Even though it's stupid… I-I thought that maybe I would get a new friend out of this, you know? Someone that's _my age_." She sniffled. It was strange for her to be so emotional, but with the day she'd been having, she wasn't quite surprised.

' _ **But you still have Pine Tree and Shooting Star, your uncle, the repair man and the red head! You said that yourself! You have friends.**_ ' He tried, not understanding where her words were coming from.

But his words were in vain. Evelyn was too deep in her sadness to truly act normally. "Grunkle Stan and the twins have started to brush me off. They won't even listen to my advice! Eventually the twins will move on with their lives _without_ me. And Wendy has better, normal friends she'll choose over me anyway.

"Soos is going to be too busy to bother with me." Evelyn shook her head. "I've _never_ had anyone outside of Gravity Falls, except my family, stay by my side and accept me." She lowered her tear filled eyes to Lisa's grave. "Even though I knew it wouldn't last, I felt like I finally had someone my age who would be there for _me_. And I lost her in less than a day."

' _ **You have me.**_ ' Bill said quietly. ' _ **If anyone can understand you, it'll be the voice in your head.**_ '

Evelyn looked up, shocked at his uncharacteristically kind words. She sniffed and wiped her eyes. "Really?" she whispered.

' _ **Well, yeah. You're stuck with me, kid.**_ ' Bill stated, sounding amused and relieved. After a moment of silence, where she absorbed his words, he spoke up again. ' _ **Oh, and I'd turn around if I were you.**_ '

Evelyn gathered herself in an attempt to calm down from her meltdown and did as he said, only to gasp. The sun had set, leaving the clearing in nearly total darkness. It was lit up, however, by a large number of fireflies that appeared from the tall grass, giving the clearing an otherworldly look. Coupled with the sound of the crickets, the small clearing was, to Evelyn, beautiful.

"Wow." She whispered, awed by the beautiful sight of life. She wiped away the last of the tears, though her face and eyes were still red from her meltdown.

' _ **You chose a good spot for your ghost friend to rest for eternity.**_ ' Commented Bill.

"Yeah, I guess I did." With one last glance at her newfound friend's grave, Evelyn stood up and dusted herself off, grabbing her bag in the process.

"I'm sorry about my meltdown." Evelyn apologized sheepishly. "It kinda came out of nowhere. It was an over reaction."

' _ **How long have you been holding that in?**_ ' Bill asked knowingly. He knew she was right about its suddenness and he wanted to understand why.

"Honestly, it feels like it's been a long time. What happened today… just kind brought the tidal wave for some reason, you know?" Evelyn put one hand to her red cheek as she reflected. "I'm not usually like this. I mean, I don't feel comfortable crying around Mabel and Dipper. I'm supposed to be the stronger one."

She thought about it for a moment. "It's just like why I don't tell them that it bothers me when people comment on my eyes or avoid me. I hate the pity they look at me with whenever I show that I'm really bothered by something. I'd rather that we just ignored it altogether."

' _ **That doesn't sound healthy.**_ ' Bill noted, not unkindly.

Evelyn clutched her necklace, feeling a wave of comfort, and let out a tearful chuckle. "No, I guess it isn't."

' _ **Well…**_ ' Bill began awkwardly, ' _ **since it isn't healthy to hold your thoughts in all the time, and I'd rather you didn't get sick… I wouldn't mind it if you vented to me**_ _ **sometimes**_ _ **…**_ '

Evelyn, who had begun walking out of the clearing, froze in her steps. "R-really?" she muttered.

' _ **Well, yeah. I'm in your head all the time anyway. I might as well become your shrink too.**_ ' Bill tried to joke. ' _ **But only sometimes. I'm not**_ _ **that**_ _ **nice.**_ '

Evelyn smiled. "Thanks, Bill."

She began to ponder his offer as she walked through the woods. She knew that offering his services like that, _without_ getting something in return, was very un-Bill like, but she appreciated those moments where he'd momentarily stop being sarcastic and egotistical to show her a glimpse of another side of him. It made her feel… special.

And as she trekked her way through the dark forest, she couldn't help but hope that her warming up to him wouldn't be a terrible mistake.

-DaLD-

After a slow trek through the woods, as her flashlight had died during the walk back, Evelyn finally made it to the Mystery Shack. She completely forwent being silent as she walked through the house since was too tired from the days' events to try to quiet her steps.

On her way towards the stairs Evelyn paused, seeing Grunkle Stan completely passed out on the sofa at an uncomfortable angle. She also noticed, much to her disgust, that Stan seemed to be even sweatier and grosser than before.

Evelyn sighed. 'I told Mabel that she shouldn't do this.'

She contemplated just bringing him a blanket, but decided that he would still wake up in pain the next morning, so she decided to try to drag him to bed.

Evelyn carefully and quietly pulled her uncle's arm around her shoulders and hoisted him up, though her silence was mostly unnecessary, since Stan could sleep through the apocalypse.

She half carried/dragged him towards his room, careful to not trip on the stairs as she made her way up.

Once she made it to Stan's room, Evelyn didn't even bother turning on the light, since her eyes had long since adapted to the darkness in the house. Evelyn placed him down on his bed gently, and was putting his blanket on him when her uncle stirred.

Stan squinted tiredly in the dark at the figure covering him up with a blanket, before he managed to make out the long, dark brown hair and red eyes of his eldest niece. "Huh? Evie?"

"Sh." She hushed. "Sorry for waking you. You just looked uncomfortable lying on the sofa. I didn't want you to wake up sore for whatever torture Mabel will put you through tomorrow." She whispered.

Stan smiled tiredly at his nieces' sweetness as she covered him with a blanket. He absentmindedly patted her hand.

She turned to go, only to feel her uncle's hand grab her wrist lightly as he slowly drifted off.

"Evie…" Stan mumbled, only half-conscious. "You're…a good kid."

Evelyn smiled softly as her great uncle fell asleep only a moment later. "Goodnight." She whispered as she walked back into the hallway and quietly closed her uncle's door.

She rubbed her eyes, her fatigue getting to her, and she yawned as she walked into her room, only to be stopped just as she entered the room by a flurry of activity.

"What?" Evelyn mumbled as she focused on the brightly coloured blur that sped around the room.

Mabel was running around, taking things and putting stuff back as she muttered excitedly to herself. She paused only for a moment to glance at her sister before once more continuing her mission. "Hey Evie!"

"Um… hi." Evelyn responded as she dragged herself to her bed and frowned lightly when she saw the various beauty products and other objects on her younger sister's bed. "You're not still trying to change Stan, are you?" she looked at her sister with disapproval.

"Yeah! And he's really improving! He'll be in dating-shape thanks to me in no time!" Mabel exclaimed, ignoring her sister's tone.

Evelyn sighed. "Look, Mabel, just don't push him too hard, okay? He's not as hyper as you are. And I still don't entirely agree with your plan. Can't you just have him be himself and talk to Susan?"

"He can't be himself! Grunkle Stan's great, but he's awful at talking with ladies." Mabel explained. "I'm just making him better than he already is!"

"But-" Evelyn began, but she was cut off.

"Evie, I get that you want everyone to be themselves, but sometimes it's better to _change_." Mabel began. "Even if the change is... sped along a bit. Why can't you see it my way?!"

"Because Grunkle Stan looked sick when I checked in on him! I just think you should be easier on him, Mabel." Evelyn tried to reason.

Mabel's face flushed in anger. "Fine! Don't help me with this!"

Mabel turned around and steadfastly ignored her sister.

After a few minutes of silence, Evelyn began to feel guilty. She knew that Mabel enjoyed being involved in people's lives, and even though she didn't agree with it, she didn't want her sister to be angry with her about something like that. She wanted Mabel to be able to do what she wanted, but sometimes she felt she needed to step in before people got hurt by her sister's antics.

"Mabel…" Evelyn called, but Mabel continued to ignore her.

"Mabel, I'm-" Evelyn tried, but Mabel continued ignoring her.

"Are you saying something? Because I can't hear you!" Mabel exclaimed. "La la la la la!"

"Fine!" huffed Evelyn, turning away from Mabel as well. If her sister wanted to act like that, she would let her do what she wanted and face the consequences.

She glanced out of the corner of her eye to see that Dipper's bed was empty, and sighed. Dipper was probably still training to 'become a man' with the Manotaurs. Why couldn't the twins just listen to her on this? They normally took her advice into consideration… were they really outgrowing her? What if they stopped asking for her opinion for good? What if they stopped needing her?

With her back to Mabel, Evelyn curled up into a ball under her covers, trying to shake off her thoughts. She needed to get her sleep, she decided, trying to focus on something other than her siblings for a moment. She'd have to wake up early if she had to take down Cara.

Ignoring her feelings of hurt and guilt, she let herself go as she closed her eyes and drifted off.

 **-DaLD-**

 **Hey guys! I am SO SORRY about how long it's taken for me to update! I had planned on updating during my vacation, but I was forced to socialize, so there wasn't much time to write. Then the moment I got back to school, it's just been non-stop work. I've been pretty stressed out, but I'm back, and I'll try to stick to my weekly updates again, though I'll be away for the next week on a school trip, so I'll try to give you guys another chapter before I leave.**

 **I hope this chapter was good. I had to completely rewrite it because I thought parts of it seemed a bit too forced. Hopefully, most of that has been improved and I did a decent job at writing. I still feel a bit off about Evelyn's breakdown, but other than that, I don't feel too bad about this chapter.**

 **You're probably going to notice that Evelyn is in denial, or at the very least, refusing to believe she's in denial. It's going to take a while, but you'll see Evelyn eventually let go of her grip on her siblings. And her breakdown scene is about so much more than just that day. Evelyn is somewhat like me: one to stuff her feelings and anger down until she bursts. I've also added a few moments where Evelyn sounds almost self-pitying because, for as much as she tries to be the best big sister/mom 2.0 ever, she's still a teenager, and one that can't usually express any normal teenage things since she wants to take care of her siblings. So I hope this made her seem a bit more flawed and realistic.**

 **Now, the clearing does have a deeper meaning to the story, and Evelyn will definitely be going back to it. There's definitely a mystery involving it, so be on the look out for that future episode!**

 **Oh, now for me to ask you guys a few questions: I was thinking of uploading Wendy and Evelyn's adventure before the chapter about Evelyn befriending the gang, since I have more ideas for the former. I hope you don't mind. I've also been wondering; do you guys want me to write the president episode? It'd be a mostly filler chapter, with very little important moments for Evie herself. But if that's your favourite episode and you want to see it, I'll write it. It's up to you!**

 **I might write an Until Dawn fic in the future, if anyone's interested. It would be Josh/OC, because I am addicted to this game, and he's my absolutely favourite character.**

 **Now to answer some of your reviews:**

 **To redvintage888: I'm sorry if you feel that the chapters are getting shorter; I try to have a minimum of 5000 words a chapter, but sometimes I need to cut the chapter in half to update on time.**

 **To Dragongirl 1806: Thank you for your lengthy review! I enjoyed reading it. I also love the 'FANFIC THEORY' reference.** **Now, I can't tell you if your theories are wrong or right, since I'd like most things to be a mystery for a while longer, but I will throw you a bone to work with. Cipher's shadow was seen on Evelyn's birth, which you noted, but WHY was he there to begin with? I'd love to see more of your theories!**

 **And for your second review... yeah, this story is going to be a LONG one. I've done the math, and it might end up being more than 60 chapters long! So I'm definitely splitting up the two seasons into separate stories.**

 **To lildino: Thank you! Your review was really sweet! I'd love to see a drawing of Evie if you have the time. And if you decide to write a fanfiction for Gravity Falls, I'll be sure to check it out!**

 **I hope you guys have a wonderful day, and I want you to know how awesome you all are for waiting this long for an update. Please favourite, follow, and/or review! No flames please, and if there's grammatical errors, I apologize. Love you all! -Aria**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Gravity Falls.**

 **P.S. The ship name has been decided! They will be Evill!**


	21. Chapter XX: Evelyn vs The Dead (part 4)

Evelyn woke the next morning feeling determined and ready to face Cara. She and Bill had spent the night in the Mindscape coming up with a plan to take down the ghost, in a non-violent way of course (Bill hadn't been onboard with the whole 'non-violent' aspect, but it was Evelyn who would be executing the plan, so he relented).

She packed a bag with the supplies she'd need for her trek and left the house before Mabel even stirred.

-DaLD-

As she walked through the forest, heading towards the factory, Bill spoke.

' _ **Are you sure you want to go through with this, Little Bird? You could turn back now and**_ _ **not**_ _ **deal with an angry ghost.**_ '

Evelyn sighed. "Bill, we've been over this. I'm not going to give this up. Besides, I've already promised Lisa that I would save William for her."

' _ **Hey, I'm just looking out for you, Little Bird. I'd like to meet you in reality soon, and you need to be alive for me to do that. Probably in one piece.**_ '

"Alright, I'll be safe. I only want to talk to her anyway."

Evelyn reached the factory a short while later, an instantly became serious. Despite the fact that she only planned on resolving this haunting peacefully, Evelyn had learnt from her experience the other day and knew not to expect a welcoming treatment from the ghost. She just hoped that what little information she'd found yesterday would prove to be satisfactory.

Taking a deep breath, Evelyn hesitantly opened the large door, wincing as it creaked. She stepped in and began to look around, avoiding the second floor. For her plan to work, she'd need a lot of space.

She walked through the hallway that led to the main part of the factory and found a large, empty space in the main part that would be the perfect place to set up. Placing her bag carefully on the floor, Evelyn immediately got to work, knowing time was of the essence.

-DaLD-

Nearly an hour later, Evelyn walked up to the second floor, careful to be a safe distance from the hole in the middle of the hallway.

"Cara!" she called, cupping her hands to her mouth in an effort to make her voice carry. "I know you're here! I'd like to talk with you, if you don't mind!"

' _ **Why are you being polite to the homicidal spirit?**_ ' Bill asked, somewhat annoyed.

'Because it's better to be nice to her than be rude and end up pissing her off. I'd like her to be willing to communicate with me.' Evelyn explained.

She waited in silence for a moment, before she heard a creaking sound from behind her. Startled, she spun around, only to be faced with nothing. She looked around, confused, and turned back around, only to be faced with Cara.

The spirit stood right in front of her, her coal black eyes glaring at Evelyn through the ghosts' dark hair. Evelyn yelped in surprise at the sudden appearance of the spirit, nearly stumbling backwards.

"Ummm…" Evelyn stuttered, suddenly nervous now that she was faced by the spirit that had almost killed her. "I would like to talk to you."

" _Leave now._ " Cara spoke, her voice echoing ominously.

Her voice was slightly more guttural than Evelyn had expected, but then again, the furious look the spirit was giving her kind of explained it.

" _No_ , I just want to talk with-!" Evelyn began, before she stumbled back, avoiding the arm that Cara had swiped at her with.

Seeing the murderous glint in the ghost's eyes, Evelyn's own eyes widened, and she immediately ran, Cara in pursuit. She ran down the stairs and skidded into the hallway that led to the main part of the factory, Cara letting out a growl as she followed the brunette.

Evelyn sprinted through the factory, dodging the large machines, and ran past a circle of candles, salt and stones. Cara followed, until the spirit suddenly found that she couldn't move.

Evelyn stopped and watched as the confused spirit tried to break free of the circle, only to be deflected. Cara's confusion turned into anger, and she let out an inhuman shriek as she faced her captor.

"Please, don't be mad. I just made this in case you would try to hurt me." Evelyn tried to placate the spirit, but Cara only snarled in fury.

"Look, I just need to speak to you about your haunting…" Evelyn paused, seeing that Cara's focus was no longer on her, but something behind her.

She slowly turned around to see a ghost of a man in work overall's, burns covering his body. He was slowly making his way over, a snarl contorting his face.

Evelyn turned back to Cara, noticing the smug yet grim expression on the spirit's face, and swiveled around, seeing more and more of Cara's henchmen lurking around, approaching her.

Bill cursed. ' _ **This would be a good time to run, Little Bird.**_ '

Evelyn slowly reached into her bag, taking out a spray bottle. 'I put some anointed water in here. It should be enough to keep them at bay while I help Cara move on.'

' _ **You don't**_ _ **need**_ _ **to help her move on! You only promised to free your ghost friends' lover!**_ ' Bill ranted.

'But I _want_ to do this… I want to help.' Evelyn told him, staring at the slowly approaching spirits with apprehension.

She turned back to Cara. "Please, I just want to help you. Don't you want to move on?"

Cara looked furious with her words, but refused to speak. A wind whipped around the spirit in the circle, causing her dark, tar like hair to fly around her. She looked up, reaching her hand out to something that Evelyn couldn't see.

Evelyn pulled her gaze up as well only to see, to her horror, that Cara was making a large beam above them move. At first, it was just a wiggle, but it quickly turned into violent shaking as the beam tried to escape the rusty nails.

The beam came loose, and Evelyn stood frozen for a moment, before Bill's shout broke her from her stupor. ' _ **Run!**_ '

Evelyn dived out of the way, narrowly avoiding the beam as it crashed down, landing right where she'd previously been standing.

Evelyn coughed and tried to look through the dust and debris. Cara was calmly standing in the circle, her body untouched by the mess, and was staring and the ground intently.

Evelyn scrambled back up on her feet, ignoring the sting of the cuts and bruises she'd received and looked down at what had Cara so enthralled.

The beam had landed mostly outside of the circle, but a part of it had crashed through it, _breaking the circle_.

"Oh crap." Evelyn muttered, her eyes wide.

Evelyn's comment attracted the attention of Cara, who began to walk towards Evelyn menacingly.

Evelyn, realising that her situation was going downhill fast, turned around and began running through the factory, spraying the male ghosts that got in her way.

After running in circles for a bit since the ghosts were constantly blocking her way to the hallway, Evelyn dove behind a machine, trying to catch her breath. She closed her eyes for a moment, resting her head on the machine behind her. She tensed when she felt a presence in front of her and opened her eyes, only to come face to face with a middle-aged ghost. Evelyn screamed and sprayed it with her water, running away as the ghost clutched his face.

' _ **You need to leave!**_ ' Bill yelled.

'What do you think I'm doing?' Evelyn replied sarcastically, making a beeline for the hallway that led to the foyer.

She'd just reached the foyer and was almost at the exit when she felt something wrap around her ankle, tripping her and dragging her back. She fought against it, desperately clawing at the ground to pull herself back up, and turned around to see that it had been a rope that had grabbed her. She was being dragged toward Cara and a few male ghosts, filling her with panic as she fought even harder to escape.

A second rope, at the control of Cara, lifted her by the arm into the air, before tying itself around her middle, trapping her arms to her sides.

Cara stepped forward so that she was right in front of the levitating teen, anger written across her features.

"Listen to me, please!" cried Evelyn. "I just want to help you!"

Evelyn felt the ropes around her tighten, becoming tighter and tighter until she struggled to breath. 'Oh no.'

Cara turned her back to the helpless teen, ignoring her cries.

Evelyn watched the spirit begin to walk away, and something snapped inside her. "Okay, that's it!" she shouted. "I am _sick_ and _tired_ of people _**ignoring**_ me!"

Her change of tone stopped Cara, who turned around to the brunette with confusion in her face. The ropes that were squeezing Evelyn began to loosen, but she was past the point of caring as she ranted.

"First Grunkle Stan, then Dipper and Mabel, and now you! I'm not stupid; I can have some pretty decent ideas from time to time if you would just LISTEN TO ME!" Anger flared up in her red eyes as she vented. "My opinion _does_ matter!"

The ropes dropped Evelyn, who yelped in surprise and pain as she landed harshly on her butt.

"Oww…" she winced as she rubbed her bruised backside, before realising that she'd landed right in front of Cara.

She crawled back to put some space between them, expecting the spirit to attack, but when nothing happened after a few seconds she looked up at the ghost.

Cara was staring down at her, understanding and awe in her eyes.

" _You-you've been ignored too?_ " Cara whispered, her echoing voice displaying surprise.

"Well, yeah. My siblings, who usually ask for my opinion, just ignored my advice and went off to do their own thing, and my uncle keeps cutting me off." Evelyn paused and looked down. "In retrospect, I guess I came here because I wanted someone to listen to me. I just wanted to know that my opinion could still help people."

" _All… all I've ever wanted before I died was for my opinion to matter to someone._ " Cara stated, looking down at the red-eyed teen with a new light.

"Your father…" Evelyn's eyes widened in realization. "I read one of your letters. You kept on giving your dad advice, didn't you?"

" _Yes._ " Cara nodded. " _My father used to ask me for new ideas. If they were good, he would use them as if he'd been the one to come up with them, but I never minded. He'd always say he was proud of me after that, and I liked being useful._ " Cara's expression darkened. " _But eventually my father must have felt that I was running the company more than him, because he stopped listening to me, even about the important things. Like the broken equipment…_ "

Evelyn gasped in understanding. "You were killed by a gas leak. The piping you wanted fixed…"

Cara nodded. " _One night, I got angry at father and decided to take matters into my own hands. I'd watched the engineers patch things up enough that I assumed I could do it as well. But there was an accident and I died, only to wake up as an angry, vengeful shell trapped in the place that killed me._ " Cara said spitefully.

"But it doesn't have to be this way." Evelyn tried to reason. "Maybe you could move on if you let go of your anger and release the spirits of those you killed. I know that you're angry about being ignored, but by forcing these men to obey you, you're taking away _their_ right to have an opinion."

Cara's eyes widened at the brunette's words. " _I-I've never thought about it that way before…_ "

After a moment of indecision, Cara sighed and reluctantly turned to the spirits she controlled. " _Spirits, I release you of my hold on your souls. Return to your resting place._ "

One by one, the once feral acting ghosts slowly lost their anger, and their expressions relaxed into either confused or relaxed ones. They each began to vanish, until only one lingered. Evelyn's eyes widened as the spirit approached her, realizing that it was William.

He was an attractive young man with windblown hair and a clear set of dimples. His eyes seemed to radiate kindness now that he was no longer driven by a madness that was not his own, and he looked at her the way you'd look at a dear friend.

" _Thank you!_ " he exulted, beaming at the brunette, who returned with a smile of her own.

Evelyn could see why Lisa loved him. He was quite handsome, even as a ghost, when he smiled.

' _ **Hey! Continue thinking like that and I might begin to feel jealous, Little Bird.**_ ' His tone was mocking, but there was an undercurrent of seriousness.

Evelyn blushed lightly, realising she'd projected her (completely platonic) thoughts. Shaking her head, she smiled back at the happy spirit.

" _Thank you! Now I can finally go back to my love, Lisa._ " His eyes visibly softened at the mention of his almost fiancé. " _I'll tell her that you saved me, alright? And I'll never forget your kindness and bravery today._ "

Evelyn, feeling flattered, said; "Thank you. I was just doing the right thing. And say hi to Lisa for me, will you? I hope you enjoy the afterlife with her, William."

" _Oh, I will!_ " he exclaimed as he began to fade. " _Thank you so much! Goodbye!_ "

He faded completely, leaving only Cara and Evelyn in the room.

Cara looked both conflicted and as though a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. " _Thank you for talking me down. I was just so_ _ **angry**_ _with my father and my death that I doomed innocent men to my fate._ "

"It was the right thing for me to do." Evelyn said once more, shrugging. "And don't sell yourself short. I know it takes a lot to let go of your anger; especially when you feel like it's justified." Evelyn paused in thought. "I guess that's what I need to do now too, huh?"

" _Yes, it would be wise to reconcile with your family now while it's not too late. If you are truly arguing with your loved ones, you must tell them how you feel._ " Cara's eyes got distant. " _I wish I could go back and speak with my father about how I felt._ "

Cara suddenly took a step towards Evelyn, her ghostly face taking on the look of a lost child. " _Oh, what shall I do? I have nothing left, yet I can't move on._ "

"Well, what's keeping you here?" Evelyn asked kindly.

" _Even though I died here, I still feel emotionally attached to this place. I invested so many years of my life into this factory, and I don't want it to become forever tainted by bad memories. I would like to leave this plane of existence knowing that my life's work will not be forgotten and will carry on._ "

"Then…" Evelyn thought for a moment, before an idea struck her. "I can tell Toby to put an ad in the local paper for this place. He owes me a favor."

Evelyn's expression darkened for a moment, remembering her fight with Gideon. She brightened after shaking herself out of her thoughts.

" _Would you really?_ " Cara looked at her with hopeful eyes.

"Sure. If it helps you move on peacefully, I don't see a reason not to do it." Evelyn smiled, before a thought occurred to her. "You haven't really been alone since you died though, right? Will you be okay on your own?"

Cara looked sheepish. " _I will get lonely, but I will be fine._ "

"I could visit you sometimes, if you'd like." Evelyn offered.

" _You would?_ " Cara questioned. " _But why? I have been horrible to you!_ "

"Well, I understand what it feels like to be angry and just want to take it out on others." Evelyn smiled sheepishly at her admission. "So I forgive you. One of the worst thing a person can feel is feeling alone."

" _Oh, thank you!_ " Cara cried, looking as though she wanted to hug the teen.

Evelyn glanced at the watch she'd decided to put on before the hunt, relieved to see that it wasn't damaged. "I should probably go back. I need to make up with my family."

" _I understand._ " Cara smiled and followed Evelyn as she walked to get her bag from the floor and walked over to the door.

" _Wait,_ " Cara said, her eyes suddenly going misty, much to Evelyn's shock. " _Before you leave, there is something I must tell you._ "

"What is it?" Evelyn asked cautiously, seeing the change in the spirit before her.

" _ **I see that you are destined to do many great things, Evelyn Pines.**_ " She began gravely, causing Evelyn to shiver. She hadn't told Cara her name. What was going on?

" _ **But there is darkness in your heart. Your anger towards all those who have wronged you lingers. Don't let it control you or cloud your judgement.**_ " Cara's misty eyes stared at Evelyn with a freaky intensity. " _ **And there is something more, something unnatural. A shadow is in your mind. A being, the shape of a triangle haunts your dreams and follows you into the waking world. Tread carefully, Evelyn Pines, for each step may be your last.**_ "

After her horrifying speech, Cara blinked, her eyes clearing, completely oblivious. At Evelyn's expression, Cara's ghostly brow furrowed. " _Are you alright?_ "

"F-fine." Evelyn tried to regain her composure, giving Cara a tight-lipped smile. "I'll visit you soon."

" _Goodbye!_ " Cara waved, as Evelyn headed for the door, not noticing Evelyn's shaky expression.

For Evelyn swore that, for just a second, she saw a triangle-shaped shadow latched onto her own from the corner of her eyes.

-DaLD-

Evelyn was halfway through the forest by the time Bill spoke up. ' _ **Well, that was ominous.**_ '

"Bill, was anything she said… about my steps true? Are you really that dangerous?" Evelyn asked hesitantly.

' _ **Everything can be dangerous, Little Bird.**_ ' Bill answered vaguely.

"But are _you_ a danger to my family? To me?" Evelyn reiterated.

' _ **I've told you already Little Bird,**_ ' Bill said, exasperated. ' _ **I won't hurt a single hair on your head on purpose and as I am right now, what danger could I possibly pose to the Pines family? I'm just a voice in your head at the moment!**_ '

Evelyn was about to respond, when a rustling from a bush behind her caught her attention. She turned around cautiously, expecting it to be some other supernatural being out for blood.

She flinched as a figure walked out of it, before realising that it was Dipper, who was carrying his clothing as he tried to rub off some tattoos. Evelyn raised her brow in surprise once she noticed her brother was only wearing a loincloth.

"Uhm, what are you wearing Dipper?"

Dipper jumped, not having expected anyone to be that deep in the forest. He turned and his eyes widened once he saw his scraped, bruised and slightly dusty sister walking toward him. "Evie?! What are you doing here?!"

Evelyn shrugged. "Well, I decided to go on an adventure on my own. What about you, Mr. Loincloth?"

Dipper blushed, realizing how scantily dressed he was. Quickly covering his loincloth with his hands, he stuttered, "Uh, t-the Manotaurs m-made me wear it for my final task."

Evelyn, who was now standing beside Dipper, raised her eyebrow. "They _made_ you wear it? They didn't-"

Dipper was completely flustered, waving his hands frantically as he tried to stop her. "O-of course not! They were pretty cool! At least, at first…"

Evelyn looked at her brother in concern. She kneeled down slightly to be at his level and put her hand on his shoulder. "What do you mean 'at first'? What happened?"

Dipper began to tell her about the tasks the Manotaurs told him he had to do to become a man, from the 'Painhole', to jumping across a gorge. As he talked, they continued their walk back to town.

"…and then I realized I _didn't_ want to kill the Multi-Bear, even if I couldn't become a man. So I told them that, and they basically kicked me out." Dipper finished.

"Well, Dipper, you did the right thing. Violence or murder shouldn't make you a man." She said wisely, glancing down at her brother, noticing his depressed look. "But you wanted to fit in, didn't you?" she asked softly, her heart hurting for her little brother.

"Yeah." Dipper sighed, before he looked up at his sister remorsefully. He took his sister's hand as they walked. "You were right, Evie. I should have listened to you instead of going on a wild goose chase the Manotaurs. I'm sorry."

Evelyn's eyes softened and she stopped walking and knelt down to give Dipper a hug. "I'm sorry too, Dipper." She said.

Dipper pulled back slightly, looking at his sister in surprise. "Why?"

"Because I should have realised that you're getting older. You're going to want to do your own thing sometimes, and you won't always need me or my opinion to help you with everything. I should let you make your own decisions." Evelyn explained.

Dipper immediately hugged his sister even tighter. "Evie, I'll _always_ need you and your opinion, even when I'm a grown up." Dipper admitted, his voice slightly muffled by her hair as he rested his head on her shoulder. "I know that sometimes it feels like I ignore you, but I really want your opinion on stuff. I only went with the Manotaurs because I felt frustrated and I thought I would see quick results."

"It's okay Dipper. You're allowed to make your own decisions in life, even if I don't agree with them." She smiled and stood up, brushing herself off. "Let's go to the Diner for some real food, huh? My treat."

"Yes!" Dipper cheered and began to sprint in the direction of the town.

"Uh, Dipper?" Evelyn called after him hesitantly.

He paused and turned to face his sister. "Yeah?"

"Um, shouldn't you get… changed first?" she motioned to his state of undress.

Dipper flushed once more in embarrassment, and quickly grabbed his clothing to change behind a bush.

' _ **My, Pine Tree is really modest, isn't he?**_ ' Bill mocked, taking amusement from Dipper's embarrassment.

'Hey, watch it, mister. He can have decency if he feels like it.' Evelyn defended lightly, causing Bill in scoff.

Dipper came out of the bushes fully dressed a moment later and walked up to his sister. "So, are we going to get food now?"

Evelyn smiled. "Sure, Dip."

-DaLD-

It took the duo fifteen minutes to get out of the forest, in which time Evelyn gave a quick rundown of the events during her adventure to her awed sibling.

"So you _talked_ the ghost out of _killing_ you?!" Dipper exclaimed.

"Cara is very reasonable once you talk things out with her." Evelyn commented, smiling as they walked towards the Diner. "I might bring you to meet her sometime."

"Awesome!" Dipper cheered, excited at the prospect of meeting his sister's ghostly new friend.

A sudden thump from the Diner window caught the two off guard, making them jump. They both turned to see an overly excited Mabel pressed against the glass, Grunkle Stan calmly munching on pie behind her.

"EVIE! DIPPER!" Mabel exclaimed through the glass. "It's me, Mabel! I'm looking at you through this glass! Right here! This is my voice! I'm talking to you from inside!"

Evelyn winced. Though Mabel's voice was muffled through the glass, it was still pretty clear, meaning Mabel was almost screaming.

Dipper seemed to have reached the same conclusion as he gave Mabel a 'calm down' gesture, clearly chagrinned. He and Evelyn quickly walked into the Diner, hoping to avoid making more of a scene.

As they approached the table Mabel was sitting at, said bubbly twelve years old asked, "Did you see me through the-?"

"Yes." Dipper cut her off.

"It was kind of hard to miss." Evelyn muttered, gaining a playful slap on the arm from her sister.

"Hey!" Mabel cried playfully as her siblings sat across from her and their uncle.

Mabel stared at her brother curiously. "So, what have you been up to?"

Dipper sighed, his feelings of inadequacy returning tenfold now that he was back with his twin and his uncle. Though his talk with Evelyn had helped, he was hesitant to share his troubles with the less than supportive side of his family. "I… don't want to talk about it."

"Good." Stan dismissed, not terribly interested.

Evelyn shot him a glare and nudged her brother, giving him a 'tell them' look.

Dipper sighed, but gave in.

"Um…" Dipper began hesitantly. "It's just these half-man, half-bull humanoids were hanging out with me…"

"Here we go." Stan complained, but was quickly silenced by his eldest niece's glare.

Dipper decided to ignore his uncle's comment and continued. "…But then they wanted me to do this really tough, horrible thing, but it wasn't right. So I said no." Dipper sighed, feeling a renewed sense of disappointment.

Grunkle Stan didn't see it the same way. "You were your own man and stood up for yourself." He commented dismissively, chewing on his bite of pie.

Dipper was shocked by his uncle's comment. "Huh?"

Evelyn smiled as her uncle tried to put on an unaffected air, while simultaneously complimenting Dipper. "Well, you did what was right even when no one agreed with ya." Stan crossed his arms and tried to ignore the proud look his eldest niece was giving him. "Sounds pretty manly to me, but, what do I know?"

Dipper became under his uncle's praise as Evelyn chuckled, ruffling his hair. "See? I told you that you were manly."

"Wait a minute, do my eyes deceive me?" Mabel exclaimed, leaning across the table towards Dipper, her eyes wide. "You have a chest hair!" she pointed, excited.

Evelyn watched in mild surprise as her brother pulled down the collar of his shirt slightly, revealing a single chest hair.

Dipper gasped in shock, ecstatic at the new discovery. "You're right! I do!" he laughed, grabbing onto his older sister's arm with one hand as his other one held down the collar of his shirt. "This is amazing! I really do! Take that, man-tester! Take that, Pituitor!"

"Pituitor?" Evelyn and Stan echoed, exchanging matching looks of mild disgust at the Manotaur's name.

"This guy has chest hair!" Dipper exulted, proud with the recent development…

… Only to have Mabel pick it out with a pair of tweezers, startling everyone. "Scrap-bookortunity!" she happily cried, ignoring the disbelieving looks of her family as she put the hair in her scrapbook.

Dipper winced slightly in a delayed reaction, rubbing his sensitive chest, now disheartened.

"Cheer up Dipper." Evelyn said, smiling slightly. "It'll stop hurting in a second, and you're guaranteed to grow more chest hairs when you're older."

"You sister's right, kid." Stan added. "It'll grow back. And if you're anything like me, they'll be plenty more where that came from." Stan ripped open his shirt so that the siblings would see his disgustingly hairy chest.

Evelyn made a sound of disgust, her siblings mirroring her. "OH, GROSS!" Dipper cried.

They all shared a look of amusement, before they all burst into laughter, the mood now light between them. Once their laughter stopped, Dipper glanced at his uncle's chest and became solemn.

"Seriously, that's disgusting."

Evelyn stifled another laugh as she turned to face her uncle, curiosity gleaming in her eyes. "So, what brought you two here to begin with in _that_?" she cast a surprised glance at her uncle's state of undress. "I thought Mabel's plan was to dress you up like a gentleman."

Stan barked out a laugh as Mabel glanced down, slightly chagrinned.

Mabel sighed and looked up at her sister remorsefully. "Evie…you were right. Instead of trying to change Grunkle Stan, I should have let him be himself." She gestured to their uncle. "When I brought him to Susan looking like this, she gave him her number and a free pie!" she looked down once more. "I should have listened to you."

"Mabel…" Evelyn reached across the table to take her sister's hand. "You did great! Grunkle Stan got the girl, just like you planned. And you learned an important lesson by yourself, _without_ my help." Evelyn sighed, before she smiled, trying to get over the sadness she felt at her admission. She felt a comforting feeling radiate from her necklace and briefly touched it with her free hand. "That means you're _maturing_ Mabel. You're becoming a better person from your own life experiences." She laughed airily. "Soon enough, you won't even need my help!"

"Evie, of course I'll need you! Forever and ever!" Mabel glanced at her brother for backup. "Right Dipper?"

"Definitely." Dipper took his sister's hand and squeezing, the three sharing smiles.

Stan looked at the scene with bittersweet fondness and almost longing, before he shook his head and returned to his gruff, 'devil-may-care' attitude. "Alright you three, stop with the sweet moment. You're giving me a tooth-ache."

Dipper looked at him slyly. "Then you won't mind giving me your pie?"

Stan put a protective hand around his slice. "Hey, get your own pie, brat."

Evelyn laughed and waved the waitress over, "Okay, I guess pie's on me today."

The twins cheered, before Stan looked at his elder niece with indecision and handed her twenty-dollar bill with a sigh. They all looked at him in surprise. "Don't get any ideas. This was a one-time thing. Now spend it before I take it back." He crossed his arms.

The siblings smiled gratefully and got ready to order as the waitress walked over to their table.

"Oh, Evie, there's something I want to give you!" Mabel exclaimed, rooting through her bag as her sister stared at her curiously.

"What is it?" Evie asked.

"I finished it while you were gone." She pulled out the grey sweater with a little blue bird silhouette that she'd begun making a while back. "Here!"

"Thanks, Mabel!" she slipped it on, admiring its softness. She looked around at her family as they joked and laughed, and she felt a smile form on her face.

'For better or worse, this is definitely the most interesting summer ever.' Thought Evelyn.

-DaLD-

The Pines family, excluding Evelyn, had gone back to the Mystery Shack as the teen wandered the town cemetery, a handful of daisies in her hand.

She walked along the rows in silence, looking for the right name. After a few minutes, a man who she assumed was the caretaker, approached her and asked who she was looking for.

"I'm, uh… I'm looking for Penelope Nellson." She smiled politely.

"Penelope Nellson?" the caretaker repeated, scratching his chin in thought. "Well… I know of a Lisa Nellson. I believe she had a sister though."

Evelyn's eyes widened. "Do you know where Lisa's grave is?"

"Right over that hill, there." He pointed to the left.

"Thank you!" Evelyn nodded her head at him gratefully before practically running in the direction he'd pointed out.

She slowed to a walk when she saw a familiar name on a tombstone:

 _Here lies_

 _Lisa Nellson_

 _A beloved daughter and sister_

Evelyn smiled sadly at it, tears prickling her eyes as she put one of her daisies in front of the grove. Despite having made her own grave for Lisa, it was nice that there was a more official one for her ghostly friend.

Feeling a sudden urge to look over to the grave beside he, Evelyn spared a glance in the other tombstone's direction and did a double take.

 _R.I.P._

 _Penelope Evans (nee Nellson)_

 _A beautiful wife, mother and daughter_

 _You will be sorely missed_

Evelyn's smile widened. "You got married…" she whispered. "Lisa will be so happy."

She carefully placed the rest of the flowers by the grave and as she stood up, she felt a sudden warm breeze ruffle her hair before fading.

Clutching the sleeves of her newly made sweater, she smiled down at Lisa's grave. "Goodbye to you, too."

' _ **Come on, Little Bird.**_ ' Bill called in a surprisingly gentle voice, ' _ **Let's go.**_ '

Evelyn turned around and began walking back, her smile still on her face. Gravity Falls was quickly becoming the most mysterious and amazing place, and Evelyn wouldn't change her being there for the world.

 **-DaLD-**

 **Hey guys! Once again, I have sucked at updating, and I am so sorry about that, but I am still writing and I promise that there will be more regular updates, but I might need to start updating on a biweekly basis since I have a crap-ton of stuff piled on my plate at the moment. I will update a short little drabble later this week or the next as an offering until I'm finished typing the next chapter, so stay tuned! I'm also soon going to go over the first few chapters and correct all those little spelling mistakes (I didn't proofread back then).**

 **On a lighter note, some notes from this chapter: Evelyn isn't going to just suddenly stop being the overprotective mama bear that she's always been, but she will try to tone it down, since she wants her siblings to be happy more than anything. But I can definitely tell you that a part of her is still angry and hurt. :)**

 **And I purposely made Mabel's apology much shorter than it should be; they still have some things they need to resolve, but it might take time.**

 **Also, there will be future cameos of Cara, so you guys might get to see her more amiable side.**

 **Anyways, onto reviews:**

 **Thank you to all of you who left those incredibly kind reviews! They made me so happy to read, and it's nice to know that my work is appreciated.**

 **To Dragongirl1806: Thank you for your review! I always enjoy reading yours. Your theory is interesting, but once again I can't really give anything away. (Also, Calla will most likely be in Gryffindor. I just can't imagine her ditching Harry.)**

 **And to redvintage888: Bill might not be seen physically for a while, but season two will have a crazy amount of Bill. Season one is more of a 'setting the stage' kind thing. But, you will see Bill and Evie's relationship slowly grow throughout this season, so there's that to look forward to! I'm also not going to make a billion 'Wendy and Evie!' stories, since that would take too much time and eventually become boring. There will only be a few.**

 **And here's a serious message for everyone that's currently reading this: I just want to seriously thank you all for sticking with this story, and I want you to know how much you guys and this story mean to me. In a world where sometimes I feel like I'm growing up too fast, this story reminds me that I can still act like a kid sometimes. Writing allows me to write my fantasy into a reality, and to know that people genuinely enjoy it makes me feel amazing. Thank you so much and I love you guys.**

 **Favourite, follow and review please! Please pardon any errors that I have made in this chapter, and I hope you have a wonderful evening!- Aria**

 **I don't own Gravity Falls.**


	22. Chapter XXI: Revenge (part 1)

Two days after returning from her own adventure, Evelyn was still up after the twins had gone to sleep and decided to go downstairs to watch some TV to pass the time.

She'd been in an annoyed mood all day, since her uncle had her working double time at the cash, after she had to clean the washrooms. Suffice to say, the teen believed she was in need of a little down time.

But instead of having the living room to herself, she was surprised to find a very stressed looking uncle listening anxiously to yet another voicemail from Lazy Susan. Evelyn watched in amusement, leaning against the door frame as the message ended.

"How do I get out of this?!" Stan yelled to no one.

"You've got yourself in quite the predicament, haven't you?" Evelyn mused aloud, catching the attention of her uncle.

"Evie! You gotta help me!" he half-pleaded, reaching out to his niece as she approached him, an amused smile on her face.

"Oh? And why would I do that?" Evelyn asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Come on, kid, can't you help an old man out? I just need some advice on how to get out of this situation." He looked at his niece hopefully.

Her eyes softened. "Grunkle Stan…" he perked up, feeling hopeful. "…you can manage by yourself just fine."

With a smirk, Evelyn casually walked off, her uncle frozen in shock at her response. "Good luck with Lazy Susan!" she called back to him as she walked out of the room.

' _ **That was cold, Little Bird.**_ ' Bill commented gleefully.

'That was _revenge._ ' Evelyn corrected, making her way to the kitchen.

Stan seemed to have shaken himself from his stupor as he looked at his niece as she vanished. "That little…" his eyes widened. "EVIE!"

 **-DaLD-**

 **Hey guys! Here's a little drabble to tide you guys over until the next chapter is out. Hopefully, it shows the slightly vindictive side that Evie has, though it isn't seen very often. I'm keeping this AN short, since I have to go to work in half an hour, but I hope you enjoyed the drabble.**

 **I'm planning on doing some drabble spin-offs after season 1, such as the shorts and (maybe) Evelyn and the gang in the AU universes of Gravity Falls! It won't be out for a while, since I'm working on multiple stories at the moment.**

 **The next chapter will be hopefully coming out by Sunday, if all goes well. I won't be doing too many of these shorts in the main story, so the next chapter will be much longer, I promise!**

 **Please follow, favourite and/or review! -Aria**

 **(I don't own Gravity Falls.)**


	23. Chapter XXII: Double Dipper (part 1)

Evelyn was surprised when her uncle told them that he would be holding a party for teens at the Shack. It was unusual since Stan had made it clear that he despised most teens from the moment they had gotten there, going so far as to say he'd disown Evelyn if she tried to throw even a small party for other teens during the summer.

Said brunette was currently sitting in between the twins, who were playing with Silly String, pretending to barf the colourful string out as she watched in amusement.

"Oh no, Mabel. I-I don't feel so good. I-BLAAA!" Dipper sprayed silly string into his twin's face.

Evelyn laughed as Mabel responded. "Grunkle Stan, what did you feed us? BBBBBBLLLAAAA!" she flung her own silly string into her twin's face.

Evelyn put a mock serious expression on her face and grabbed the twins' shoulders. "Guys, I'm- I'm starting to feel… strange." Her sibling glanced at her, unsure, as her face twisted in mock sickness. "oh-oh no… I-BLAAAA!" she sprayed the silly string onto both of her siblings, smiling as Mabel squealed and they both tried to avoid the spray.

They all burst into laughter and engaged in a silly string war until they were interrupted by Wendy, who had run up to them.

"Guys, guys, stop! Something horrible just happened!" Wendy looked down on the Pines siblings with panic. The three exchanged looks of confusion with each other at the prolonged silence, unsure of whether or not the redhead was serious.

After a few moments of leading them on, Wendy revealed the silly string canister that was hidden behind her back and pretended to vomit the toxic green coloured string, focusing more of it on the eldest brunette, who laughed before brandishing her own can and spraying her friend. The twins laughed hysterically at the older kids' antics.

As the teens entered their own silly string war, Mabel got up and grabbed a bag of golden confetti. "Comedy Gold!" she cried as she flung it over everyone's heads.

Stan marched over and put an end to the fun by grabbing the confetti and silly string, ignoring the indignant cries of the siblings and Wendy. "Party supplies are now off-limits." Stan said brusquely.

Evelyn fake-pouted in an uncharacteristic immature display, having enjoyed the little harmless battle. "Aw, c'mon, Grunkle Stan. Can't we have a _little_ fun?"

"No." he deadpanned, making Evelyn roll her eyes once he turned away.

With a sigh, Evelyn turned to the redhead beside her. "Wanna help me with the decorations?"

Wendy shrugged, smirking. "Sure, why not?"

The two friends linked arms and they headed over to a corner to put up some decorations, hoping to avoid the brunette's now grumpy uncle.

"Aw, man. Mr. Pines is such a downer." Wendy complained as she helped Evelyn pin some balloons up. Evelyn snickered in agreement, the two sharing a look as they heard her uncle barking orders at Soos.

They put some more things up for a minute before Evelyn saw her brother pouring himself and Mabel some Pitt Cola.

"I'll be right back." She told Wendy, before making her way over to her brother. Once she reached him, she took the bottle and ruffled his hair as he gave her a playfully disgruntled look. Though he didn't admit it, he loved when she'd ruffled his hair. It was childish, but he was so used to it that it was comforting for him, even as he tried to be more mature and independent.

As she poured herself a glass as she heard Grunkle Stan say: "The young people of this town want fun; I'll smother them with fun!"

"Gee, I wonder why no one comes normally?" Evelyn huffed under her breath, but her brother and uncle still heard it.

"Evie's right, comments like that are probably _why_ kids don't go to the Shack." Dipper commented.

Stan, annoyed that he was being ganged up on, took the Pit Cola bottle from his eldest niece, who let out an indignant "Hey!" that he ignored.

He shoved some flyers in the direction of his nieces and nephew. "Hey, hey! How's about you three make yourself useful and copy these flyers?"

Though Dipper and Evelyn had matching disgruntled looks as they glanced down at the flyers, Mabel was excited. "Oh boy, a trip to the copier store!"

Soos walked up from behind them and recited a jingle at the mention of the copier store. "Calendar, mugs, t-shirts and more! They got it all at the copier store!" at the siblings surprised looks he explained, "That's not their slogan, I just really feel that way about the copier store."

"You should tell them," Evelyn commented as she took a sip of her drink. "They could use that slogan."

Stan chose to ignore their conversation, deciding instead to give them the 'good' news. "Save the trouble! You know the old copier in my office? I finally fixed the old girl up! Good as new!"

Evelyn looked at her great uncle skeptically. Her uncle _spent money_ to fix an old copier?

-DaLD-

'I knew it.' Evelyn thought to herself as she and her siblings stood in Stan's office, staring at an old, busted up copier once they'd pulled off the dusty sheet that covered it.

It looked like it was only being held together by duct tape. Moths flew around it, catching Mabel's attention. "Butterflies!" she exclaimed.

"No, Mabel. They're moths." Evelyn explained, amused by her sister.

'Will the old thing even work?' Evelyn wondered.

' _ **Only one way to find out, Little Bird.**_ ' Bill replied.

Evelyn let out an inaudible sigh. Bill hadn't spoken in her mind all day, and she'd begun to feel confused and … maybe a bit worried by his absence, since he was usually commenting on practically everything she did.

Dipper had approached the printer as well and hesitantly lifted the lid. "Does it even work?" he asked, unknowingly echoing his sister's earlier thoughts.

He pressed a random button and rested his arm on the machine as he leaned against it, about to speak to his sisters. He was cut off, however, by the copier turning on and scanning his arms, sputtering out a copy of its image a moment later.

Mabel took the copy as Evelyn studied it over her sister's shoulder, curious about the image quality.

"Success!" Mabel cried, seeing that it had come out right.

To the siblings' surprise and horror, however, the copied image came to life a moment later, startling Mabel enough to drop it.

The three scrambled back towards the door as the disembodied arm began to crawl after them.

"AH!" they screamed, the three clinging to in each other.

Dipper flung the Pit Cola he'd been holding onto the hand in a last ditch effort to keep the arm at bay. "Stay back!" he cried.

To their amazement, the moment the fizzy drink landed on Dipper's copied arm, it disintegrated. They sat there in stunned silence, absorbing what they just witnessed.

'What… was that?' Evelyn thought, freaked out.

' _ **An experiment gone wrong?**_ ' Bill suggested, for once sounding as if he was at a loss.

Evelyn was puzzling it together in her head, and she didn't like what she was thinking. A copier that could create life would _not_ be safe to have in a Tourist trap, of all places.

Dipper had been piecing it together as well, and vocalized to his sisters: "Evie, Mabel, I think this copier can copy human beings!"

"Do you realize what this means?" Mabel sounded serious for a moment. She paused, before lifting her silly string and spraying them with it. "BBBBLLLAAAA!"

Evelyn wiped her face to clear it of the string, before saying, "Guys, we need to make the copies and get out of here right now, okay?"

Seeing how serious she was, her siblings nodded complacently, realising that she had a reason to be worried. "I don't want anyone to find out about this and use it. That means you two can't use it as well, okay?"

They nodded once more, and the three quickly made the copies and left, closing the door behind them.

As they headed back, Evelyn bit her lip subconsciously, concerned about leaving the printer unguarded. With the twins knowing it existed, all _sorts_ of chaos could ensue.

She knew that she herself wouldn't use it, and she'd like to think that Dipper was wise enough to see the danger in making copies, but Mabel? Mabel would most likely create an army of herself and set her copies on the town in a mission to 'glitterfy' or 'love' it.

Evelyn shuddered at the thought. She'd just have to keep an eye on Mabel every now and then.

-DaLD-

Once they finished setting up for the party, the Pines siblings, Wendy, and Soos lined up in front of Grunkle Stan so that he could assign them their positions.

Wendy and Evelyn stood beside each other and would make faces at Grunkle Stan's back jokingly whenever he turned away, only for the two to dissolve into giggles.

They straightened up when Stan began to speak: "Alright party people… and Dipper. Let's talk business."

First, he gestured to Soos. "Soos, because you'll work for free, and you begged, I'm letting you be DJ."

Soos was ecstatic. "You won't regret it, Mr. Pines. I got this book to teach me how to DJ R-R-right!" he held up a book.

His enthusiasm made the two teens snicker, amused by their coworkers' excitement.

"Not encouraging." Stan deadpanned, before focusing on Wendy. "Wendy, you and Mabel will work at the ticket stand."

Wendy exchanged a look with Evelyn: the redhead had wanted Evelyn to pair up with her, if only to get the brunette to socialize.

Mabel was not thrilled either. "What? But Grunkle Stan, this party is my chance to make new friends!"

"I…I could work with Wendy." Dipper offered hesitantly, trying to conceal the hope in his voice.

Stan rolled his eyes. "You realize that if you do, you gotta commit to stay in at the ticket stand with Wendy. No getting out of it, just the two of you, _alone_ , all night."

Dipper turned his lovesick gaze to Wendy, who had wondered off with Mabel and Soos and was currently spraying Soos' belly with the silly string. From beside him, Evelyn nudged her brother, forcing him to go out of his daydream and answer his uncle. "I promise."

Stan nodded and turned to his eldest niece. "Evie, you're in charge of snack refills. I want you to sty at the party until it's over and refill anything that looks empty. Alright?"

"What?!" Evelyn exclaimed, her usually calm expression morphing into one of horror. "Grunkle Stan, I wasn't planning on going to the party tonight!"

And she really hadn't. Evelyn wasn't one who enjoyed being in a room with a large group of strangers. After a few bad experiences of her own with social gatherings, Evelyn decided to avoid them entirely. She didn't like the stares and questions that her eyes tended to attract. She'd planned on staying in her room and finally finishing her most recent book, even though Wendy had been trying to convince her otherwise.

Stan wasn't bothered by his niece's reaction. "Well, you're going to it now. And if I see you leaving this party for anything other than bathroom breaks, I'm docking your paycheck."

"Please!" she pleaded. "I'll clean the toilets for a week!"

He was unmoved. "If you continue complainin', I'll make you clean the toilets for a _month_ too!"

Evelyn lowered her head in defeat.

Dipper looked at his sister sympathetically. He knew how his sister felt about parties, and even some of her past experiences with them. It wasn't going to be a great night for her, that was for sure.

Evelyn cast a glance at her younger sister, looking for backup, but saw that not only had Mabel heard what she'd have to do, but that the 12-year-old had stars in her eyes as well. Evelyn sighed, seeing that she'd get no help from the young girl.

Though Mabel knew some of Evelyn's past experiences with parties, the girl, unlike her brother, was optimistic and was constantly trying to get her sister to socialize, which would now end up ruining a perfectly good night for her.

Evelyn believed that Mabel just wanted to dress her up for once.

"Fine." Evelyn sighed, resigned. "I'll do it."

-DaLD-

An hour later, the siblings found themselves back inn their room, getting ready for he party as they talked. Mabel was sitting on the bed as Evelyn brushed her hair and Dipper was fixing his bow tie in the mirror.

Mabel got off the bed and walked up to Dipper while his back was turned, the 12 year old boy not noticing his twin until it was too late.

She startled him by her 'sudden' appearance as he turned to get the spray bottle. "AH!" he yelled, before recovering from his mild heart attack.

"What?" he asked, slightly annoyed.

Mabel was amused by her brother's completely transparent crush on the older redhead, and took the opportunity to annoy him. "Uh, uh, I could work the counter with you, Wendy!" she pretended to be her brother, mocking him, "Let's kiss!"

Mabel proceeded to make out with thin air, causing Evelyn to smile and Dipper to give his twin a disgruntled look, before he brushed her off.

"Yeah, yeah, laugh all you want, but I devised a plan to make sure my night with Wendy goes perfect." He said assuredly.

Both Evelyn and Mabel groaned. "Dipper… don't tell me you made the overly complicated list again!" Evelyn half-pleaded, Mabel giving him the same look.

Dipper brushed their concerns off. "Psh. Overly- complicated? Let me just…" he pulled a small list out of his vest pocket and began to unfold it, revealing it to be a _very_ large list. "alright, fold that there, kay. Step 1: Getting to know each other with playful banter." At his twin's confused and exasperated look, he explained; "Banter is like talking, but smarter."

Evelyn groaned and fell back onto the bed, temporarily tuning her siblings out. Though she _still_ didn't agree with Dipper's crush, knowing that it would most likely end in heartbreak, she still didn't want him to self-sabotage his own plans, which was _exactly_ what he was beginning to do.

She'd decided to let him handle his crush himself, since she knew it was natural and she had promised to let him grow up a bit. She was just making sure she'd be there if or when it crumbled apart to help her brother out.

Evelyn was pulled back into the conversation when she heard her brother say, "If I follow steps 1 through 11, nothing can get in my way!"

"Dipper, you're the one getting in your way." Mabel complained.

"Mabel's right, Dipper." Evelyn warned. "You don't want to self-sabotage a chance to hang out with Wendy. I know her, and she responds better to being spoken to like a normal person than an overly-planned conversation. And believe me, she will be able to tell the difference between the two."

Dipper would not be deterred. "Step 9, sisters!" he pointed to it, revealing that it was 'talk to her like a normal person'.

Mabel sighed, rolling her eyes as Evelyn groaned once more at her brother's hard-headedness and flopped back down onto her bed. "I give up." She grumbled.

Dipper left the room to help Stan with some final touches and to go over his list, leaving his sisters to get changed for the party.

"Okay, Evie!" Mabel announced. "Time to dress up!"

Evelyn sighed, giving her sister pitiful eyes. "Mabel, can't I just do what Dipper did? I'll put on a tie then I'm done!"

"Nope!" Mabel chirped. "You're dressing up. This is your first party in Gravity Falls! You never know when you'll meet _someone_." Mabel gave her sister a coy look as her head swam with the possibilities. Maybe the strong, silent type would sweep her sister off her feet! Or maybe a bad boy!

Evelyn suddenly felt a very angry presence in her head and realized that Bill was back from whenever he'd gone, and he was _pissed_.

Evelyn gulped. 'What… did you hear?'

Bill growled. ' _ **Enough. There is**_ _ **no way**_ _ **you're going to get a guy tonight, Little Bird.**_

Evelyn scoffed mentally, not noticing Mabel, who was slowly creeping toward's Evelyn's dresser. 'What? You don't think I could get someone?'

' _ **No,**_ ' Bill huffed, ' _ **I don't**_ _ **want**_ _ **you to get someone. Adolescent males, humans especially, are hormone-driven bags of flesh!**_ '

Evelyn chuckled mentally. 'As much as I agree that some are, that doesn't take away the fact that _I'm_ an adolescent too. I kind of need my boyfriends to either be close to my age, or at least look close to me age wise.'

Bill seemed to digest that for a moment, though Evelyn could tell that he was still annoyed (something that confused her greatly).

'Besides,' Evelyn added, 'I'm _not_ going to look for guys tonight. I've had one too many bad experiences with guys, especially at parties. I was just messing with you because your statement irritated me.'

Bill huffed. ' _ **Are you**_ _ **trying**_ _ **to constantly annoy me?**_ '

'Well, you do that to me all the time, so yeah.' Evelyn replied smugly, when something black smacked her in the face.

After recovering from the initial shock of being attacked by fabric, Evelyn glanced at it curiously as Mabel spoke up.

" _That's_ what you'll be wearing as bottoms! I'll find a super cute top in a second!" she exclaimed cheerfully.

Evelyn apprehensively picked the garment, knowing that if Mabel picked it that it wouldn't bode well for her. She was right.

In her hands was a pleated black skirt, one that she'd worn as a mandatory part of her school uniform for a year during middle school. It had shrunken slightly, meaning that it was probably only a bit longer than mid thigh, something Evelyn did _not_ feel comfortable with.

She could hear Bill snickering in her head at her hesitantly to wear the skirt.

"Nuh-uh, Mabes." Evelyn shook her head, dropping the offending garb onto her bed.

"Yes, you are, Evie! It's super cute!" Mabel argued.

"And _shrunken_." Evelyn rebuked.

"Evie, it will fit! And you'll look adorable in it!" Mabel exclaimed, stars in her eyes as she imagined her relatively quiet and calm sister partying.

"No." Evelyn said.

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes." By this time, Mabel began poking her sister's shoulder and was trying to give her sister a domineering look, something that amused Bill.

' _ **Shooting Star is pretty serious about this, isn't she?**_ ' Bill commented, entertained.

"And your makeup is going to be-!" Mabel squeaked in surprise when her sister grabbed her and held her hostage using a pillow and her arm to hold her down, her free hand covering her sister's mouth. Evelyn's eyes were wide with terror as she held her struggling sister down.

"You will _not_ be putting _any_ makeup on me." Evelyn said vehemently.

Mabel mumbled under her sister's hand and nodded her head, but Evelyn stayed unconvinced until she felt something warm and somewhat slimy glide against her palm.

She pulled her hand away in mild disgust. "Did you just _lick me_?"

Mabel's giggles were all the answer she needed to know and she rolled her eyes as she wiped her palm on her jeans. "Not cool, Mabel."

Evelyn sighed, seeing her sister did not want to give up. "Mabel, how about this? I'll…wear the skirt," she grimaced, "but only if I do _everything else_ on my own. Deal?"

Mabel mulled it over, before pouting in resignation. "Fine, but you'd look better if I did it."

Evelyn rolled her eyes at her sister's comment and brushed it off. "Somehow, I doubt that."

Mabel huffed and crossed over to her section of the room, deciding on getting herself ready. Evelyn chuckled at her sister's sullen mood, knowing that it wouldn't last long, and got to work on her own outfit.

"Since I'm wearing a skirt, I can't wear one of my normal tees. That'd look weird." Evelyn mumbled to herself, biting her thumbnail as she considered her options. "I _did_ pack a few dress shirts."

Evelyn opened her drawer and looked at her options. She didn't have an endless flow of fashionable outfits; most were t-shirts and shorts (and a few of Mabel's hand knit sweaters), with a grand total of _one_ dress and three dress shirts. She didn't even remember _packing_ the skirt, but she assumed Mabel had sneaked it in there at some point.

She looked at he sparse options, before she sighed and picked up the red one that Mabel had convinced Evelyn to buy when they had gone shopping nearly two months ago. It was a similar shade of red as her eyes and it was sleeveless, with red lace covering her from her shoulders to just above her chest, and the rest was soft fabric that was a deep red and admittedly fairly comfortable.

Evelyn sighed once more and changed hurriedly. The skirt was definitely shorter than it used to be, ending just at mid-thigh level, making Evelyn uncomfortable. To add to that, it was a bit snug around her hips, which just added to her discomfort. Evelyn wasn't overweight by any stretch of the imagination, since she worked out and trained regularly, but there was definitely a difference from her 13-year-old body compared to her 17-year-old one, seeing as she had filled out.

She quickly ran a brush through her hair and after putting on her only pair of black flats, decided that she was ready and studied herself in the mirror.

Her long brown hair framed her face well enough, though it was slightly poufy due to it being recently brushed, and her red shirt complimented her eyes. The skirt, though something that was causing Evelyn mild anxiety, didn't look that terrible on her either.

Evelyn tried reassuring herself by reminding her brain that her shorts were _definitely_ shorter than the skirt, but she still didn't feel much better. Maybe it was the fact that a skirt was moved easily…

' _ **My, Little Bird. You clean up well.**_ ' Bill complimented, something unidentifiable behind his tone, almost like… possessiveness?

'Thanks.' She muttered in her mind, feeling too depressed that she had to go to the party to ty to analyze Bill's tone, and she threw a longing look towards her books. Her only consolation was that Wendy would be there, since she knew the redhead would try to sneak in at some point to join the party.

Mabel's squeal caught the elder brunette's attention and she turned, only to be glomped into a hug by said twelve-year-old.

"Evie, you look so cute! You'll have to fight guys off with a stick!" she cheered, pulling back and revealing her disco sweater, skirt and the bow in her hair.

Evelyn slumped at her comment, not _wanting_ to fight boys off, not that she thought that many would approach a red eyed teenage girl.

She could feel Bill bristling with anger and annoyance a Mabel's words, and became curious. Was he… jealous?

Bill didn't comment though, so Evelyn decided to leave it be.

"Come on Mabel, let's go." Evelyn sighed and took Mabel's hand, the two leaving to head to the party that was beginning downstairs.

 **-DaLD-**

 **Hey guys! Once again, I am sorry for the delay. The chapter was completely finished and ready to go on the deadline, but my laptop died and I realized that I lost the charger. So I spent the entire week looking for it and rewriting a new one, only for my grandparents (who came to visit) to find it under the sofa. But here it is!**

 **Some notes on the overall chapter: I apologize if its short, but this isn't one of my favourite episodes, and its going to be fleshing out characters that Evelyn will meet again in the future, so it will only be two chapters long.**

 **There's definitely going to be more action in the next episode, with some important developments for Evie. :)**

 **Onto reviews: Thank you all so much for your supportive reviews, I love reading them!**

 **Firstly, to hcharper131: You did a LOT of research on triangles. (Like, a full-blown, thesis-to-pass-university-courses lot). Honestly, I was a bit confused as I read it at first. Guess I'm just not that crazy smart! But I did reread it and began to get all the references and meanings. Don't know what it had to do with the chapter, but I enjoyed the new info none-the-less! Thanks for your interesting review!**

 **To DomesticatedPiggy: I'm glad you enjoy my fic! It's nice to know that Evie's a believable character, and that you like the story so far. I guarantee that it'll get even better as I go along and reveal more about Evelyn, because believe me, there are some future events that will show just what Evie's really like, and her past.**

 **To Dragongirl1806: Thanks for reviewing again! And you're super lucky to get a shiny Onix! Onto your actual review though, I totally see where you're coming from. Canon Bill is a bit of a sadistic, evil Dorito (though we love him anyway), but there are several reasons that he's acting differently. Firstly, I realized that he'd managed to gain lonely (and cautious) Fords trust back in the day, and he definitely hadn't been spouting all of his evil plans right away to him, so it shows that he's a skilled manipulator. And with someone like Evie, who really doesn't have many other people in her life, she'd be fairly easy to manipulate. :) But there is something else (something big) that is influencing his kindness to her, something that will only be revealed near the end of the first season…**

 **Anywho! I also see the whole 'Draco won't fall for her cause she isn't born to a wizard family', and I raise to you Dramione! (Not canon, but frickin close enough! (except for the unrealistic fics…)) but don't worry, there'll be a case of mistaken wizard identity when they first meet that'll endear her to him and vice-versa, though he certainly won't change his pureblood ways right away. It'll take a while before there'll be a lot of fluff between them, but it'll be worth it! (I've also memorized the song, so I get you ;))**

 **Thank you all once again for sticking with this story, infrequent updates and all! I'm starting to write the next chapter, but I'm going to be working overtime this week, and school's getting busy, so it'll be done by next week. Please favourite, follow and/or review! Pardon any spelling mistakes in the chapter, and I'll see you all next time! -Aria**

 **I don't own Gravity Falls**


	24. Chapter XXIII: Double Dipper (part 2)

The two sisters entered the party from the balcony to see that it was already in full swing, only raising Evelyn's anxiety, though she tried to ignore it.

The pulsing of the music and the coloured lighting seemed to have attracted quite a crowd, since it seemed as if the entire youth of Gravity Falls, plus a few more of the adults, had a shown up.

Evelyn gulped and clutched onto the rail, _really_ wanting to leave.

She jumped slightly when she heard her uncle come up behind them and turned to watch him do some goofy dance. After his little dance, he walked up to his nieces and surveyed the party from behind their shoulders proudly.

"Can your uncle throw a party or what?" he asked them rhetorically.

"Well, you can't dance, that's for sure…" Evelyn grumbled, still in a sour mood.

"Hey! I won't take any lip from the catering service!" Stan barked, pointing at the older teen.

"I'm _not_ catering, Grunkle Stan. You said I only had to refill empty dishes." She reminded him, worried that he would add catering to her list of things she had to do already.

"Bah! Close enough." He waved his hand dismissively, before continuing. "And if anyone wants to leave, I'm charging an exit fee of fifteen bucks!" Stan added gleefully, practically rubbing his hands together.

Evelyn rolled her eyes at her great uncle's need for money and looked down at the party to see Lee and Nate panicking about the money and how they were 'trapped'.

Evelyn sighed and mentally told herself to get some money for them later.

Her uncle and Mabel walked down the stairs to join the party, though Evelyn could still clearly spot them in the crowd. She was actually surprised about how many people had come to the event, but decide that since Gravity Falls was so small, there probably wasn't much for the teens of the town to do. It certainly wasn't helping her calm down though.

She felt a wave of soothing energy emanate from her necklace, and sighed in relief, feeling her anxiety fade slightly.

'Thanks.'

' _ **No problem, Little Bird.**_ ' Bill said. ' _ **Go join the party before you're forced to by Shooting Star.**_ '

Evelyn sighed once more and made her way down the stairs, staring at the partygoers as though they all had sharpened knives in their pockets. She avoided the dance floor and made her way to a nearby corner, skirting around a few groups of people, she heard someone wolf-whistle, and she bristled, turning around to see who had done it. The teen boy, who looked to be a bit younger than her, instantly paled when he saw her eye colour and packed off.

Evelyn turned away, feeling a grim sort of satisfaction. As much as she appreciated that her eyes kept the wrong type of guys away normally, she still didn't like the fact that it kept most _other_ people away too. But, they were a part of her, and she had plenty experience of getting over her loneliness. Plus, here she actually _had_ friends like Wendy, Tambry, the Gang, and even Soos.

She shook herself from her musings as she situated herself in the corner. She leaned against the wall and stared off to the side, waiting for either the food to need refilling or for Wendy to come in, since she knew the redhead couldn't resist a party.

Evelyn had been waiting for 15 minutes and was content to wait out the rest of the party unseen, until the first issue of the night occurred.

She'd been blissfully ignoring the party and was currently watching Mabel befriend two girls her age with a fond smile, when a shadow of a boy swept over her.

Evelyn looked up, a slight glare in her eyes, as she tried to cover her startled reaction to the sudden appearance of the teenage male that showed up in her small corner.

He looked like he was her age, with dark hair and vivid blue eyes. He was handsome, but the arrogant quirk of his lips told Evelyn that he was all too aware of it.

He paused for a moment at her strange eye colour, before a gleam of interest showed in his eyes and he approached her confidently.

As he stopped in front of her, he very obviously looked her up and down before he spoke in what he must have thought was a suave voice. "Hey beautiful. How you doing?" he very obviously stared at her revealed legs and her chest, making her feel suddenly _very_ uncomfortable.

Evelyn didn't relax at all and gave him a quick nod in acknowledgement, trying not to grimace at his choice of words and hoping that the boy would get the hint.

He didn't.

"I was just enjoying the party when I saw you standing here." He explained. Despite his innocent reasoning, Evelyn could see that he was far from an innocent person. "I decided to invite you to come with me."

Evelyn felt Bill's anger swell in her mind, but Evelyn didn't want to be overly rude to the boy, even if she really felt like doing it. If she was too rude, he might leave and take his friends with him, getting rid of potential buyers, which she knew would piss her uncle off. So she instead decided to be polite. "Thanks, but no. I don't dance."

"Oh, but you'll dance with me." He stated confidently, not at all perturbed by her.

Evelyn frowned, now feeling annoyed. "No, I already said that I won't."

Something flashed dangerously in the boy's eyes, but it disappeared to quickly for Evelyn to figure out what it was. "C'mon baby, give me a chance." A sleazy smile made its way on his face as he leaned his arm against the wall, effectively trapping the brunette as he continued. "A pretty little thing like you shouldn't be alone, especially at a party."

At this point Evelyn was feeling beyond uncomfortable. A fire was building in her, threatening to burst forth and drop-kick the boy in front of her into the next century. Yet a larger part of her was frozen, unable to really react to the boy's aggressive flirting.

He seemed to either not notice her stiffness, or was ignoring how she was clearly not interested, and briefly touched her collarbone. "And after the dance, well… who knows?" he grinned, but Evelyn saw the glimmer in his eyes, the one that said he wasn't above forcing her to leave the party, and she felt paralyzed.

She was in an uncomfortable place at a party that Evelyn felt uneasy in, and it made Evelyn feel strangely powerless. She knew she was unusually strong and could easily defend herself if need be, but something inside of her wouldn't let her move; the part of her that was terrified of these very situations.

Her inner thoughts were distracting her from the rant Bill was no doubt on, but at the moment, Evelyn that she had more pressing matters to deal with, mainly the teen who was refusing to leave her alone.

He leaned in, eyes burning and mouth quirked in an almost greasy and confident smile, and opened his mouth to no doubt say even more things that would anger and scare Evelyn, when a familiar hand landed on her shoulder.

"Everything alright here?" Stan asked, his gruff tone and knowing eyes telling the two teens that he'd already guessed at what was happening.

Evelyn felt her expression of discomfort slip off her face as it was replaced by relief. She knew that now that her uncle was there, she was safe.

The boy shot a disgruntled look at Stan, and waved his hand dismissively. "Yeah, everything's fine, old man."

"No." Evelyn said harshly, feeling a sudden boost of confidence now that she saw a familiar face, now that she wasn't alone. "It's not fine."

"Oh, so this clown is pissing you off, Evie?" Grunkle Stan asked rhetorically, cracking his knuckles in the kids face, a clear warning.

The kid shot them both a pissed off expression that didn't really hide his fear well, and was about to walk off when Evelyn, still feeling the sudden wave of courage, called out to him. "Hey, buddy."

The teen turned around, only to get soundly slapped in the face by Evelyn. " _That_ was for not taking the hint, douche." She growled.

Clutching his cheek in pain, the boy shot them a furious glance, before running back into the crowd.

"Phew, glad that's over." Stan sighed, unperturbed. He looked down when he felt a hand on his arm, and finally looked his niece in the eyes.

Evelyn shot him a grateful smile, her eyes wide with relief. "Thanks for helping me, Grunkle Stan."

"Oh, it's nothing." He tried to wave it off, but Evelyn shook her head.

"No, it's not nothing. I was freezing up. If you weren't there… it might have ended off a bit worse for me." Evelyn looked down.

Stan's eyes softened. "I don't know, you handled him pretty well. Nice slap. He's gonna be bruised for weeks." He said, pride seeping into his words, causing Evelyn to look up.

"Thanks." She shrugged sheepishly, before becoming serious. "But honestly, Grunkle Stan, thank you for being there for me."

Evelyn wrapped her arms around her uncle in a hug, feeling the man tense up for a moment in surprise. A few seconds later, she felt one arm awkwardly pat her back.

"You're… not gonna cry or anythin', are ya?" Stan asked awkwardly.

Evelyn shook her head. "Nope." She said, pulling back with a smile.

Stan looked at his niece, pride glimmering in his eyes, before he shook his head. "Why don't you take a ten-minute break?"

Evelyn's red eyes regarded him with surprise. "Really?"

Seeing her shocked expression, Stan said gruffly, "Hey, it's only for a few minutes. I expect you back down here no later than in ten minutes."

She smiled in relief at the thought of a break from the dance. "Thanks Grunkle Stan!" She left as quick as she could so that he couldn't change his mind last-minute.

As she walked out of the room, she noticed how quiet Bill was. 'Umm…Bill?' she asked mentally. 'You there?'

' _ **Yes I am Little Bird.**_ ' By answered calmly, though she could hear the storm behind his calm demeanor. ' _ **I was just thinking about what would be a better punishment being skinned alive, or bathing with electric eels.**_ '

Evelyn's eyes widened in shock, and she felt a small tendril of alarm in the back of her head at his words, remembering Cara's prophecy. ' _Tread carefully, Evelyn Pines, for each step may be your last._ '

She couldn't help but feel it might have something to do with Bill, and she knew so little about him and everything that was going on between them, and it was all becoming a bit alarming. But, she pushed those thoughts away, trying to focus on all the strangely kind things Bill had done for her; he'd never actually done anything against her, so why should she be worried?

'Uhm, that's a bit dark, isn't it?' Evelyn forced herself to chuckle mentally, not wanting him to know where her mind had gone for some reason.

' _ **He deserves it, doesn't he? That flesh bag just couldn't take a hint.**_ ' Bill replied, his tone becoming a bit lighter hearted, though she could still hear the dark undercurrent to his words.

'Well, he's out of the picture now.' Evelyn said, feeling slightly uneasy. 'He certainly got the hint.'

Bill hummed in agreement, but didn't say anything else, seeming to be deep in thought. Evelyn quickly turned her mind back to her mini-break she was supposed to go on, and tried not to focus too much on Bill's words.

After making her way up the stairs and into a quiet hallway of the Shack, the sound of multiple familiar voices and a strange squeaking sound caught her attention.

Evelyn placed her ear onto the door of the copier room, and felt confused when she heard Dipper's voice.

"C'mon, you're not gonna pair me up with him, are you?" Dipper whined.

Then, another Dipper spoke. "SSSHHH! Don't be rude!" There was a pause, then, "Hey, buddy, hey, it's okay."

Evelyn felt disturbed when she heard another voice make slurred, awkward sounds that had no discernable meaning.

Then, yet another voice, Dipper's voice, said resolutely. "Okay. Just one more clone."

Evelyn slammed open the door and looked in shock at the sight before her; there were three normal-looking Dipper's, two looking slightly more faded and wearing numbers on their caps, and one deformed Dipper sputtering on the side.

"Dipper I,- you?" Evelyn sputtered in shock. "I expected this kind of the thing from Mabel, but you?!"

Dipper, the real one, looked at her remorsefully as his clones looked down in shame. "Evie, I can explain. I-!"

The siblings were caught off guard as a blur ran into Evelyn, wrapping its twisted arms around her, causing the brunette teen to yelp.

"EVXXAAAA-KKK!" the form hugging her slurred, squeezing itself against her tightly in comfort.

It took Evelyn a moment to realize that the creature that was hugging her was the deformed version of Dipper, something that made her heart hurt. She carefully wrapped her arms around the almost two-dimensions figure, holding the trembling copy close.

Paper-Jam Dipper clung to her tightly and tried to climb up her body, wanting to be held even closer. Evelyn, who understood what he wanted, picked him up so that his head was burrowed in the crook of her neck and his arms were wrapped tightly around her shoulders, like the real Dipper did for comfort when he was younger.

After hearing him make some pained whimpering and sad sounds of distress, Evelyn clutched the copy of her brother closer and turned her glare to the three other Dipper's in the room. "See, Dipper? This is what happens when you mess with things you don't understand!" she seethed, her heart breaking for the pain of the copy of her brother in her arms. Even though it wasn't her real brother, it was a copy of him, and that was close enough to cause Evelyn's maternal and sisterly instincts to rise.

Dipper looked at his sister, eyes pleading for her to understand. "But Evie, I _need_ clones in order for my plan with Wendy to work! There are too many ways it could be messed up if I don't have backup!"

"Yeah, Evie! We're just being smart and thinking ahead." Dipper #2 agreed, Dipper #3 nodding along.

Evelyn felt like she was going to explode in anger. Dipper was supposed to be the _cautious_ twin, the one that would either ask for her help or would think something through before doing something stupid. Yet here he was, acting irrationally!

Evelyn was about to step in like she always did, clean up Dipper's mess and advise him not to do it again, but she paused. She'd promised Dipper that she'd let him handle himself more often, and if this is what he thought was the mature choice, then she should let him deal with it himself.

Why should she deal with his mistake anyway? If she let him go, let him mess up and then deal with his own mistakes, it would probably help him in the long run.

So, squaring her shoulders, Evelyn sighed, resigned and angry. "Fine. You can do whatever you want, but _you'll_ have to deal with the consequences."

Dipper and his clones looked at her in surprise, except for Paper-Jam Dipper, who hadn't really moved from his nook in her arms. "R-really?!" Dipper asked, shocked. His face showed a mix of emotions; relief that he could continue his plans, yet a little dismay and doubt.

"Yes, really. I am done with stopping you and Mabel from doing stupid things after I've already told you how bad it was." Evelyn said, her eyes tired. Just in this summer alone, she'd almost died multiple times trying to stop her siblings from doing the wrong thing. And even if she knew she'd do it all over again, it was time that they figured out what was right themselves, since she didn't think the situation would turn deadly just this once.

Of course, Evelyn would step in the moment it got too dangerous to protect either one of them, but she didn't tell Dipper that.

Evelyn looked down at the deformed Dipper clone in her arms and carefully tried to put him down, but the clone refused to let go.

"Come on, Dip. Don't you want to join them?" she asked kindly. She felt bad for leaving Paper-Jam Dipper alone, but she couldn't bring him back down to the party without having to answer some very awkward questions.

The clone clung to her for a moment longer, before he loosened his grip on her until he finally let go.

"See? You'll be fine. Go join the others." She smiled and hugged the clone once more before standing up and waving goodbye to the clone and looked at her Dipper in slight disappointment.

"Go on, set up your plan. But you'll need to deal with the consequences." Evelyn said and headed out, trying to ignore the strange look on her real brother's face as she left.

-DaLD-

Evelyn gathered herself and rejoined the party a few minutes later, only to be immediately greeted by Wendy. For a moment, Wendy looked as if she was about to ask her something, but decided against it last minute and put on a cheery smile.

"Hey Evie! Isn't this party awesome? I thought it would be way lamer since Stan was planning it, but it's great!" Wendy exclaimed while slightly bobbing her head to the music.

"Parties aren't really my thing, Wendy." Evelyn said apologetically.

"Come on! If you let loose, you'll enjoy it!" Wendy tried, grabbing Evelyn's hands and trying to sway her side to side.

"Nope." Evelyn shook her head, a rueful smile on her lips.

"Ugh, fine." Wendy groaned exaggeratedly, before shooting her friend a smirk. "Hey, nice outfit by the way. Was it picked out by Mabel?" she asked knowingly.

Evelyn sighed. "Mostly, yes. I barely got away without her doing my makeup."

Wendy twisted her face into one of mock horror. "Oh please no, not the makeup!" she laughed, lightly punching her friend's shoulder. "Hey, are we still on for this weekend?"

"Of course." Evelyn smiled. "Sleepover at your place, right?"

"You know it!" Wendy cheered. "I bought microwave popcorn and rented a few horror movies. Just remember to not show up too early, or dad will try to put you through 'Lumber Training' again."

"It wasn't that bad." Evelyn shrugged.

"It was _super_ embarrassing!" Wendy disagreed, seeming mortified at the thought of it.

Evelyn glanced back at the stage and was surprised to see Mabel, a small Asian girl and a larger freckled girl getting ready on stage as a platinum blonde girl took the microphone and began to sing slightly off-key.

"What's Mabel doing now?" Evelyn sighed.

"Oh, Mabel joined some party contest against Pacifica Northwest. Her family like owns the town. They're crazy rich." Wendy explained as Pacifica sang. "I don't think I've ever seen her lose at anything."

Evelyn smiled ruefully. "At least Mabel's not destroying the town or something. It's nice to see her meeting kids her age." She smiled as she saw Mabel ready to get on the stage once Pacifica finished her song.

Evelyn turned back to Wendy, planning on hanging out with her friend as she tried to wait out the rest of the party, when she saw a Dipper clone waving to her anxiously. The brunette huffed in annoyance, but followed along. She refused to get involved with Dipper's problems, he needed to learn what was wrong and right and Evelyn was beginning to believe that it was something he'd need to learn on his own.

Maybe then he wouldn't do something stupid like _cloning_ himself.

So instead of spending more time with her friend, Evelyn said, "I gotta go, Wendy. I think there are some snacks I need to refill." With an apologetic smile and a farewell wave to the redhead, Evelyn left.

-DaLD-

It turned out that the snacks _did_ need a refill. After Evelyn had dutifully clapped for her sister's adorable performance, Evelyn began carrying two platters back into the kitchen.

Before she could reach her destination however, a person stepped into Evelyn's way, almost making the brunette fall over as she tried to avoid hitting the person in front of her.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" Evelyn began, hoping she hadn't managed to mess up the woman's clothing.

"You should be." The girl sneered, glaring at Evelyn in distaste.

The girl was about Evelyn's height and age, with blonde hair and a tan that was too orange to be a real one. She was wearing a glittery black dress that rested higher than mid thigh and was wearing gaudy jewellery around her slim neck. But despite her slightly overdone appearance, she was still intimidatingly pretty, making Evelyn feel slightly inferior.

"Well, um, I'm sorry…" Evelyn repeated, a bit unsure now that she could see the hostility in the blonde's stance.

Evelyn took a step back, deciding that she wanted to avoid confrontation, and began to head in the direction of the kitchen, avoiding the blonde. She was stopped, however, when a hand clasped on her shoulder, the owner's acrylic nails digging into her skin.

"You're not going anywhere, freak." The blonde said. "Not until you get what you deserve."

"'Get what I deserve'?" Evelyn repeated, completely bewildered. She shook her had and tried to get out of the blonde's grip. "Look, I apologized for bumping into you…" she began, but was cut off by the blonde's scoff.

"Please," she flipped her hair, "I don't care about that. I _care_ that you've been flirting with _my_ man."

"Your, what? And who said anything about flirting?" Evelyn was completely confused, she had barely talked to _anyone_ tonight, much less flirt.

"Don't play innocent." The blonde snarled and grabbed her shoulder again. "I saw you coming on to him by the corner over there."

Evelyn felt a light bulb light up in her mind as she connected the dots. "Oh… the guy that was trying to flirt with me?" Evelyn nodded, a feeling of unease creeping into her stomach. "Is he your boyfriend?"

"Of course he is!" the blonde was working herself into a fury. "And he'd _never_ go after another girl, so _you_ tried to take him away from me!"

"Look," Evelyn began, feeling pity for the blonde, but also beginning to get annoyed at her yelling. It wasn't her fault! "I had no idea he had a girlfriend, but he came on to _me_. I tried to get him to back of because I wasn't interested, but he kept trying to push himself on me."

"You're lying!" the blonde accused, looking at Evelyn with hatred. "You just want him for yourself!"

Evelyn scoffed. "Believe me, he's the last guy I'd have an interest with."

She softened her tone, her original unsure feelings around the girl starting to fade away. The entire night had been pretty bad for her nerves, and she felt a bit like a lit fuse that was waiting to explode. Despite that, Evelyn still wanted to try to get through to the girl. She despised confrontation when it could be avoided. "And I know that you know I'm not lying. My guess is that if he willingly went after a girl with weird red eyes, I'm probably not the first girl he's hit on."

For a moment, the blonde looked at her in shock, her eyes pained because she _knew_ Evelyn was right. But when Evelyn reached out to comfort her, the girl became enraged, and slapped the brunette's hand away. "Shut up, you freak!" she snarled, "You don't know _anything_ about Dan and I. We're meant to be." She took a threatening step closer. "and if you come anywhere near my boyfriend and I, I will make your life a living hell."

With that, the blonde stopped away, leaving a confused and shocked Evelyn in her wake.

"What is it with people at parties?" Evelyn murmured, once her shock had worn off.

Bill had been strangely quiet during Evelyn's confrontation, something that concerned Evelyn. 'Bill? You there?'

' _ **Oh, I'm here, Little Bird.**_ ' Bill replied, sounding surprisingly light. ' _ **I'm just imagining that**_ _ **stupid**_ _ **blonde with her skin inside out!**_ '

Evelyn's eyes widened slightly, horrified at the thought. All Bill had talked about today had been about maiming or killing people, and the brunette couldn't help but feel that that might be normal for him, which scared her. 'Why would you think that?!'

' _ **Because she was being rude, and she deserves it.**_ ' He said, sounding much too at ease to be thinking up such things. ' _ **Or maybe I can switch her bodily functions around so her face will be on her-!**_ '

'Stop it!' Evelyn squeezed her eyes shut, temporarily forgetting that she was in public, though she was too horrified to really care. 'Stop talking like that!'

' _ **Why, Little Bird? Is it too**_ _ **dark**_ _ **for you?**_ ' he mocked, his anger rising at Evelyn's refusal to listen. ' _ **Are you already friends with her? Because I'm pretty sure I caught some stray thoughts from you about her that weren't very**_ _ **nice**_ _ **at all.**_ '

'I didn't mean them though!' Evelyn tried to explain. She hadn't realized that she'd projected any of her thoughts to him, and she had only thought a _few_ negative things; that wasn't a crime, right? 'I was just angry; I don't want bad things to happen to her just because she's mean!'

' _ **You can say that all you like Little Bird, but you know that deep down you meant it!**_ ' his tone was becoming more and more angry, with a tinge of sadistic glee.

'Go away!' Evelyn cried out mentally. 'Go!'

' _ **Little Bird…**_ ' Bill sounded shocked, his voice leaving the sadistic, angry tone it had been. Now he sounded slightly… regretful?

'Go away.' She whispered mentally. 'Just leave me alone.'

Bill sighed. ' _ **Fine. But I'll be back later…**_ _'_ he warned, before his presence faded from her mind.

Evelyn opened her eyes, only to feel yet another hand on her shoulder. Evelyn tensed, ready to get into yet _another_ argument, but as she turned around, she realized that it was Wendy talking. "Evie, are you okay?"

The redhead stared at her in concern. "Um, I'm fine." Evelyn blinked, before trying to smile reassuredly.

"You sure?" Wendy didn't seem convinced. "'Cause after Ashley had her little princess tantrum, you just kind of spaced out."

"Wait, her name was Ashley?" Evelyn asked, trying to turn the topic away from her 'space out'. "She didn't really tell me; she was too busy freaking out about me 'coming on' to her boyfriend."

"Yeah, I saw that." Wendy scoffed angrily. "I was coming over to help you out, but Robbie kept trying to hold me back. By the time I brushed him off, you'd already handled him pretty well." Wendy sent her an approving smile. "I've never seen the queen bee so mad."

Evelyn shrugged. "Well, she threatened to 'make my life hell', but I put her relationship into perspective, so I think we're even."

Wendy laughed, slinging her arm around the brunette's shoulder. "That'a girl!" Wendy glanced at the brunette for a moment, looking a bit guilty. "I was gonna ask you about the whole forced flirting thing when I first saw you, but you looked upset, and I didn't really wanna upset you more." The redhead smiled brightly at her, trying to lighten the mood. "Next time I'll actually be able to _help_ you teach Mr. and Mrs. Charming a lesson!"

Evelyn smiled back, but a part of her was still caught up with her argument with Bill. She was getting the horrible feeling that there was more to him than he was saying, and whatever he was hiding wasn't good. For a brief moment, Evelyn considered telling someone about him, in case things went south. She knew she couldn't tell the twins, or Stan or Soos, but… maybe Wendy could know. Wendy had witnessed the supernatural, she wouldn't rat her out… but what if Bill was dangerous? What if her actions in telling Wendy eventually led to her younger friend getting hurt? Did she even want to tell her?

Evelyn shook her head as the sound of Soos on the microphone caught her attention. Even if she chose to tell her friend, she wouldn't do it in a crowded room.

Evelyn still wasn't sure she could even tell Wendy the truth. For now, the brunette decided she'd focus on her sister as she stood beside a little blonde girl (Pacifica, she remembered) on the stage.

"Let the party crown voting commence!" Soos cried, playing a bell sound from his keyboard. "Applaud to vote for Mabel."

Evelyn whooped and clapped loudly along with the audience, approaching the stage as she did so to smile at her sister. Mabel smiled back, excited. "Oh, oh, very good." Soos commented. "And the next contestant: Pacifica."

The crowd applauded quietly, before Pacifica glared at them and they immediately clapped louder. Seeing what she was doing, Evelyn turned around slightly and gave the partygoers a glare, her red eyes flashing, and they quieted down their clapping. Soos, who had his arms above the girls' heads like the arms of a meter, lowered Pacifica's. "Oh, it looks like we have a winner." He dropped his arms and took the party crown. "Ladies and gentlemen, the winner of our contest is, MABEL!"

Mabel did a little victory jump before the crown was placed on her head, the crowd applauding and cheering loudly. Soos placed the microphone in Mabel's hands.

"Woo!" she cheered. "Thanks to everyone here! You're amazing! And a thank you to Grenda and Candy, my new best friends and to Evie, the best sister in the world!" the crowd cheered again. "Now let's party like-!"

Mabel was cut off as a somewhat desperate looking Pacifica tore the microphone from her hands. "Uh, hey everyone! Come to the after party on my parents' boat! Woohoo!" Pacifica cheered, though Evelyn could see the conflicting, desperate emotions in her eyes.

The crowd cheered and Pacifica tried to smirk, though her desperation was still apparent. Evelyn watched Mabel deflate at the crowds' sudden shift in loyalty and was about to go up to her, when Mabel made eye contact with her and shook her head, determination shining on her face.

Mabel walked up to Pacifica and took off her crown. "Hey, Pacifica," she called, the blonde glaring at her as she turned around. Ignoring her angry look, Mabel offered the crown with a smile. "Here you go."

Pacifica looked at Mabel in shock, seeming unable to process what the brunette was doing. "Wh- What?"

Evelyn left the two preteens to talk it out amongst themselves and walked back to Wendy as the music resumed. "Dude, that glare was sick!" Wendy exclaimed. "You had them practically pooping their pants, they were so scared!"

"Lots of practice, I guess." Evelyn shrugged.

"C'mon," Wendy said, changing the topic at the expression on her friends face. She grabbed her arm, pulling her over to where the three girls were dancing. "Let's dance!"

Evelyn was forced to awkwardly dance with Wendy, but as the two laughed at how horrible her dance skills were, Evelyn began to loosen up, enjoying the light-hearted atmosphere as she danced along. After a while, Dipper (who looked like he'd been through a scrap) joined them.

It was one of the most fun nights Evelyn had had in a while.

-DaLD-

A few hours later, Evelyn saw Dipper sneak out of the mini-party, and she curiously followed him out, careful to not let him know she was behind him.

She followed Dipper all the way to their room in the attic, and peered through the doorway as he sat down on his bed and took his hat off with a sigh.

"So… how did your plan go?" Evelyn asked knowingly, leaning on the doorway.

Dipper jumped, startled by her appearance, before he calmed down. "Oh, hey Evie."

Evelyn walked over and sat beside him on the bed, seeing the conflicted expression on his face.

"So…?" Evelyn repeated, raising her eyebrow.

"Um… they ended up fighting me." He replied, looking down. "We couldn't decide who deserved to be with Wendy, and I had to turn on the sprinklers to stop them."

"Oh, Dipper…" she wrapped an arm around his shoulder and squeezed him in comfort.

"And it turns out it _was_ easier to just talk to Wendy." He sighed. "I _literally_ got in my own way." He leaned against Evelyn, sadness and doubt beginning to creep into his thoughts. He glanced up at his sister. "Evie, do you think I even have a chance with Wendy?"

She bit her lip, unsure how to answer. On one hand, she knew that Wendy didn't see her brother that way and would probably never see him like that. But on the other, she knew what her brother would want to hear, and he was turning to her for comfort.

"I think…anything's possible, Dip." She held him close. She wasn't going to lie, but she wasn't going to tell him the truth either. She'd just walk the line between the two, no matter how guilty it made her feel. "The world's a big place, with so many crazy, amazing possibilities. Maybe you getting Wendy is one." She shrugged. "Or maybe you're meant to be with someone else."

"But how will I know?" he asked, looking up at his sister.

Evelyn smiled softly at him, brushing his bangs away from his face to reveal his birthmark. "You won't. Not until you look back on it, anyway. Dipper, sometimes things happen for a reason, to teach us a lesson, to lead us on the patch we should be on, to find the person we're supposed to be with…" she rested her hand on his head. "The future is one great mystery that you'll solve piece by piece, but you don't have to know it all right now. Just try to get Wendy's attention, and if it works out, then it works out, okay?"

She kissed his forehead, right on his birthmark, and Dipper smiled. Evelyn used to do that every time he felt sad or hurt or confused, and it had always made him feel better about the mark that he was teased for. "Okay." He agreed.

They both sat back up, but Dipper hesitated. "Evie, I don't really feel like going back down to the party," he rubbed his arm awkwardly, before looking at her hopefully "…Do you want to play checkers? Mabel has her friends' downstairs, so she probably won't want to join us…"

Evelyn smiled and ruffled his hair. "Sure, Wendy left a few minutes ago anyway."

And with that, the two siblings started their game, the pulsing music of the party giving the two a melody to play by.

-DaLD-

 _He screwed up._

 _He'd let his anger and impatient attitude slip out at the wrong moment, and now his Little Bird wanted him to leave her alone. He couldn't let that happen._

 _She didn't know that he needed her, just like she doesn't know that_ _ **she**_ _needed_ _ **him**_ _._

 _There was too much at stake for him to be focusing on one single human, but he knew how important she was… and what his enemies could do if they find out about her._

 _He'd just have to get her to fully trust him faster then._

 _After all, what is a dream demon without his Little Bird?_

 **-DaLD-**

 **Hey guys! Sorry the chapter was slightly delayed; I really have no excuses for it. At least this time it wasn't a nearly month-long hiatus, right?**

 **Anyway, onto the story: this honestly was one of my least favourite episodes, along with Irrational Treasure, and I tried to make the best of it. Hopefully I did a good job!**

 **Dan and Ashley were added here not just for some tiny skirmish, but because they (especially Ashley) will end up becoming one of the main human antagonists for Evie in the future. I won't tell you much more, but I do promise that Ashley will try to make good on her promise. ;)**

 **There are a few things I feel the need to address about this chapter, mainly the fact that Wendy, a fairly outgoing and blunt character, beat around the bush a bit with Evie's issue with Dan, but I put that in on purpose; it's meant to show you that, despite the fact that they seem fairly close, Evie's still a bit of a mystery to Wendy, and she honestly doesn't know what the best course of action is to help Evie when she's sad, unless it's to pick a fight with whatever bothered her in the first place.**

 **And poor Bill; he just can't say the right things around Evie sometimes! Their argument was partially because I don't want Bill to be with Evie during Irrational Treasure, but also because I feel like his jealous and sometimes violent tendencies would send an already stressed-out Evie into a whole new wave of doubt for her mental buddy.**

 **Some quick hints about Irrational Treasure, since I didn't have time to make a cipher: Evelyn will certainly show a bit of her badass side in the coming chapters, though I'm keeping most of her fighting abilities for the Wendy and Evie adventure. Also, how do you think Evie's going to feel about the sudden absence of Bill, even if she herself wanted it? We'll have to see… :)**

 **My author's message is already crazy long, so I'm going to end it here. However, I'm planning a small short to tie up a small loose end in this chapter, so I'll address reviews then. Also, to Dragongirl1806, I would love to write a little interview-ish thing with Bill (and possibly Evie and the others), and I'd love if you could list anymore questions you have for the characters. That goes for everyone! As long as it's age appropriate, I'd be happy for a little character interview. Post any questions you may have in a review, and I'll try to write it in!**

 **A quick shout out to Berrybanana05, who seriously helped me a lot with Mabel's winning scene, and to Aqua Burst 07, who knew about Ashley long before I'd even written this episode. You guys rock!**

 **Anyway, a huge thanks to everyone who has been reading this story so far. You guys are just so amazing, and I love you all!**

 **Please favourite, follow, and/or review! Pardon any grammar, and I'll see you next time! -Aria**


	25. Chapter XXIV: A Lesson In Forgiveness

"Wh-what?" Pacifica stared at Mabel in disbelief, not seeming to be able to understand the new situation.

Mabel smiled and stretched her arm out a little more. "Its yours!" she chirped. "You need it more than I do."

Pacifica's eye widened, and she looked down for a moment at the cheap party crown as it glimmered in the coloured lights. A war seemed to be waging in her mind; should she take it, or would it be better if she left it behind?

Mabel glanced at her sister once more, only to see her giving them privacy and wandering over to Wendy. Hopefully, she was making her sister proud with her actions; she knew Evie would want her to do this.

Pacifica hesitantly stretched her hand out and grasped the crown, but she didn't take it out of Mabel's grip. "I don't understand…" she murmured. "I've been mean to you all night on purpose!"

Mabel shrugged. "It wasn't that bad." She gave Pacifica a hopeful look. "Maybe this could be a sign of us being friends!"

Pacifica's expression was one of horrible confusion, shock, and a hint of mistrust. But before she could say anything more, the crowd swept her up and carried her away to the party she promised, her hand still clenched around the small, golden crown.

-DaLD-

After the party had officially ended, Mabel tiredly went into the kitchen to get a drink before bed, only to run into Evelyn, who stood by the counter drinking a glass of milk. Her usual pajamas were on; a tank top with soft, cotton shorts.

Evelyn's brow raised in mild confusion. "Mabel? Where are your friends?"

Mabel sighed, remembering their hurried goodbyes. "Their moms weren't okay with the whole 'short notice' thingy. They said we could have a sleepover later next week though, so I get to prepare for that!" she brightened up.

Mabel saw Evelyn try to conceal a grimace, probably thinking about the damage she could cause. Eventually, her sister seemed to decide to not say anything about it, and she put her glass down.

Evelyn's eyes softened as she looked at her sister, a look Mabel knew well. "So Mabel, I saw what you did for Pacifica today…" she began.

Mabel felt her stomach bubble with joy, and she ran up to her sister. "You saw it, right? What do you think Evie?"

A laugh bubbled in Evelyn's throat and she ruffled her sister's hair. "I think that you did the right thing. I'm so proud of you, Mabes." Mabel's eyes shone at the praise.

Mabel grew up having Evie there to always remind her what was the right thing to do, and while some people thought her sister was being overbearing, or a know-it-all, Mabel always loved having an older sister to bounce ideas off of. Evie was always willing to play mermaids in the pool with her, or brush her hair, or go out on scrapbooking adventures. To Mabel, her sister was one of the best people in the universe, and even if she knew her sister wasn't always right, one of the things that made the twelve-year-old happiest was when she did something she knew her sister would agree with without even having to ask.

"I think she went into shock." Mabel giggled, remembering the expression on the rich heiresses' face.

Evelyn gave an amused smile. "I'm sure she's not used to people doing stuff like that."

Mabel got her glass of water as her sister waited for her, and the little brunette happily grabbed her sister's waiting hand as she yawned. Together, the two sisters walked up the stairs, just as the clock chimed twelve.

 **-DaLD-**

 **Hey guys! Hope you enjoyed this little short, and I have a little gift planned for you… a double update! This chapter, plus the beginning of Irrational Treasure. It's a little New Years treat. I'm also updating my Harry Potter story, since I'm trying to get back into the groove of writing now that I'm mostly freed up.**

 **In this short, I explored Mabel's perspective a little more. While I've already gone over Dipper's views of his sister many times, I thought it would be interesting to see what the bubbly brunette sees her sister as. Mabel is someone I can see being okay with her sister's overbearing nature, since she's in no real hurry to grow up like Dipper is. And while Evie and her butt heads sometimes, Evie is largely someone who has been in Mabel's life since the beginning, so I tried to show a bit of that dynamic here.**

 **Hopefully it doesn't disappoint!**

 **So, onto reviews! (From Ch.23, 24):**

 **To Moon ninja Luna: I agree. I love writing jealous Bill, it's incredibly easy to do! And you should be wondering where he goes, because it is going to be crucial to the plot later on. But I can't give you anything more to go on because of spoilers, so I'll have to leave you in the dark a little longer.**

 **And your theory is incredibly close to the truth! I don't want to spoil everything, but there is a link between the two that shouldn't be broken…**

 **To JesterOfSpades69: Thanks for understanding! And now that I'm getting a break from school, updates will be much more frequent (hallelujah).**

 **JayFan67: I completely understand how you feel. Sometimes, I write little Evill one-shots to myself to keep me going. It feels like it's going to take** _ **forever**_ **for them to get to that point. And I'm so sorry to hear about your boyfriend! I hope things get better for you!**

 **PokeMANS: I did. *shudder* it was nightmare fuel. Rest assured that he will look much better. After all, he will want to impress his Little Bird, right?**

 **To Dragongirl1806: About Calla, she's a bit too giving with second chances… she's so Hufflepuff that I'm physically struggling with not throwing her in there. But, she wouldn't be happy if she wasn't with Harry, so she'll be in Gryffindor. And yeah, she'll for sure be friends with the Weasleys and Hermione (they have a lot in common.) But it will for sure take a while for serious development between our couple, probably between PoA and GoF.**

 **I also should have renamed the DD chapter, but I'll admit I couldn't come up with one and got a bit lazy. Your theories about Bill's enemies has some truth to it, but don't worry, it won't be Ford who will try to take Evie out!**

 **To redvintage888: Yeah, I plan on making an OC buddy for Evelyn, but that will be coming later. I'd be interested to see what your OC would be like! I had one planned, but she can have more than one friend. So yeah, please tell me about her/him!**

 **Though I'm not a fan of love triangles (that isn't meant as a pun, I promise), there will be a guy in a later chapter that will show an interest in Evie. I want to give her a chance with a normal guy before she's fully sucked in to the whirl-wind that is Bill Cipher.**

 **Fantasy Female Freak: Thanks for your awesome review! You're really stroking my ego with all the praise. It's nice to know you enjoy it so much. And I feel you; when it comes to Bill/OC, there wasn't much that really interested me. Some of the OCs seemed only to exist to be with Bill, which I disliked. I enjoy character development, which was why I decided to write this story. Hopefully I've been doing a good job so far at making Evelyn her own character! And I'm happy you enjoy the sibling bond between the three!**

 **To Berrybanana05: I completely understand how their argument may have seemed a bit bland (and yes, Ashley does have emotional stuff going on, it's nice to know it's easy to pick up!), and it's the only part of the chapter that I'm truly not pleased with. I just figured that Evie, who isn't fond of arguments, would try to avoid one before things were said on either side that they couldn't take back. A bit weak, I know, but that was what I was trying to go for. Every time I wrote it, it ended up with one of them saying something horrible that would set them back a lot, and my heart couldn't take it (I ship them too much). Weak excuse, I know. ;) I hope this little chapter was what you were looking for!**

 **To Miss Tri: Don't worry, she's not going to be a Pacifica clone. They may have a few similarities, since their both insecure in some way, but they'll be different enough that they can't be considered the same. And thanks for thinking Evie's a well-crafted character! I tried to balance out the 'Mary Sue' aspects with realistic flaws (with the bonus that she's a people pleaser, something I can see being annoying) to make her like a regular human: a flawed, yet unique individual.**

 **As for Dipper being coddled by Evie, though you may still see scenes like that, he's going to try and keep it at a minimum, unless its just the two of them or he's feeling traumatized.**

 **A huge thank you to everyone else who reviewed! You are all amazing people and I hope your holidays are going along smoothly. The interview will be posted with the next chapter, since it's fairly short. And a new chapter will be posted next year, so keep an eye out!**

 **Please favourite, follow and/or review! Your feedback is always welcome. Please ignore any spelling mistakes, and have an awesome New Years! -Aria**

 **I don't own Gravity Falls.**


	26. Chapter XXV: Irrational Treasure (p 1)

_The following night, Evelyn once again found herself in the Mindscape. With a huff, she plopped gracelessly onto the ground, sitting cross-legged on the gray grass._

" _ **C'mon Little Bird,**_ _" Bill coerced, "_ _ **Stop moping and come find me!**_ _"_

 _Evelyn bit her tongue, refusing to speak. After hearing how easily he talked about hurting people, the familiarity his tone belied, she just couldn't trust him. And he'd said that she thought that way too, which wasn't true! She knew it wasn't…right?_

" _ **Are you going to ignore me?**_ _" his voice echoed, incredulous. "_ _ **That's childish, Little Bird.**_ _"_

" _Just…leave me alone." She muttered, crossing her arms._

" _ **Why?**_ _" Bill asked, aggravated by her behaviour. "_ _ **Because I'm interested in you and I don't want worthless flesh bags taking advantage of my Little Bird?**_ _"_

" _Stop calling humans that!" she cried, putting a hand to her head. "We made a deal. You promised you wouldn't call them that!"_

" _ **Fine then, I wont. Better?**_ _" Bill asked sarcastically._

" _No, it isn't. Bill… I know I've said this before, but I don't know who you are, much less if I can trust you." Evelyn sighed. "You always say these little horrible things, like torturing people, and I normally ignore it, but… I just don't get it."_

 _Evelyn felt exhausted. She was so_ _ **tired**_ _of questioning Bill and his actions, and when he made these remarks during the party, where Evelyn was already feeling incredibly stressed, she just couldn't deal with it and took the easy way out. But to be fair, she knew next to nothing about the voice in her head and she honestly was so confused with her feelings about him… she felt wary, but it was like a part of her_ _ **wanted**_ _him to be around all the time…_

" _ **Hey, I can't help the way I am, Little Bird.**_ _" He said, and Evelyn knew that if he was physically there, he'd be shrugging._

" _I think I just… need some time to think things over." Evelyn murmured._

 _Bill huffed in annoyance. "_ _ **We've been over this a million times,**_ _" he complained. "_ _ **I already told you I wouldn't hurt you. I have… plans for the future,**_ _" he admitted, "_ _ **but it won't be bad for you…**_ _"_

 _Evelyn sighed. "Can I just have some time to think to myself in my own mind?"_

" _ **Fine,**_ _" he said, "_ _ **I won't be able to be in your head for most of tomorrow anyways. But you can't be all 'wishy-washy' and stuff when I get back.**_ _" He warned._

 _Evelyn felt relief well up in her. "Okay."_

 _Moments later, when she felt the pull of the waking world, Evelyn let it take her from the gray of the Mindscape._

-DaLD-

That morning, Stan told his tired nieces and nephew that he had errands to run in town and the three were forced to accompany him. So, at only 10 in the morning, the Pines siblings found themselves in the backseat of their uncle's car as he honked at the traffic in town.

Evelyn was sitting between Dipper Mabel, staring out the window in disinterest until Mabel exclaimed, "Ha-ha! Nacho earrings. I'm hilarious!"

Evelyn laughed as her uncle said, "That's debatable."

"I don't know, it kind of matches your overall look today, Mabes." Evelyn hummed, poking the image of the dog on Mabel's sweater, making the girl giggle.

"Aw, come on, what's with all this traffic?" Stan complained, squinting to try to see what was stopping the car. "And why is it all… covered wagons?" Evelyn watched in confusion as his eyes widened in horrified realisation. "Oh no! No! No!"

"Not today!" he yelled as he slammed his foot onto the gas, attempting to speed down the street, only to almost run into a few women wearing pioneer clothing. He quickly reversed, trying to drive through the streets.

"Grunkle Stan… is everything okay?" Evelyn questioned, casting an unsure glance at some of the things she saw outside of the car window.

"What's going on?" Dipper added, just as confused.

"We gotta get outta here. Before it's too late!" Stan cried, not answering their questions. However, he drove his car into a space between a group of covered wagons, and he panicked, seeing that he could no longer get out.

"They've circled the wagons! We're trapped! Nooo!"

While Evelyn stared at her uncle in bemusement, Mabel glanced out of the window and saw a cow. She poked her sister's cheek to get her attention, and excitedly gestured to the cow. "I've got a good feeling about today."

Evelyn smiled and shook her head. They were certainly in for an interesting day.

-DaLD-

After they finally found a place to park their car in a town that seemed to suddenly be centuries behind, the Pines family began to walk around an old fashioned looking Main Street.

"Man. Look at the town." Dipper said, pulling out a postcard with an old image of Gravity Falls. He put it down for comparison, only to see the town in a sepia tone, causing Evelyn to jump back in surprise.

The sepia shade moved, however, and ended up being a pane of glass that was being held by two men. "Dirty glass. We got dirty glass! Dirty glass."

Evelyn felt like they were vaguely familiar and realized that they'd been holding the pane of glass Soos' boat had shattered. She couldn't help but wonder if the coloured glass was just something to do with the town's sudden old-fashioned vibe, o if they'd purposely dirtied it to avoid more collisions.

"Ah boy. It's Pioneer Day." Stan began to explain, noticing his eldest niece's surprise and confusion. "Every year these yahoos dress up like idiots to celebrate the day Gravity Falls was founded!" He shot a glance at Evelyn. "I brought you here once when you were little, Evie."

"Really?" Evelyn asked, her eyes widening in surprise. She'd known that her parents had dropped her off at the Shack sometimes when she was younger, and that they'd even accompanied her sometimes, but she'd been too young to remember it all, and her uncle tended to visit her at her own house after the twins were born.

She was about to continue her line of inquiry, when Toby Determined jumped into their way, dressed in period clothing as well. "Welcome to 1863!" he cried in his strange voice.

"I will _break_ you, little man!" Stan growled, not in the mood to deal with the annoying journalist.

"Ahh!" Toby cowered from Stan's fist and ran, crashing into a barrel a moment later.

Evelyn snickered, but quickly tried to smother it. She didn't want the twins to learn that it was good to laugh at people when they were hurt. She just happened to not be very fond of Toby Determined after the Gideon stunt.

They continued walking around at Mabel's insistence, though the other Pines siblings were curious as well.

The town was full of old-fashioned activities that the townsfolk were happily participating in. Evelyn saw Manly Dan teaching some children how to violently chop wood, and frowned in confusion.

"Uhm, so… wood chopping's something they want to teach five-year-olds?" she wondered aloud, looking mildly concerned as a toddler waddled around the piles of wood, brandishing a sharpened axe.

Before anything more could be said about the axe-wielding toddler, Mabel's attention was pulled away to a group of women candle-dipping. "Wow! Look! Candle Dipping!"

Evelyn sighed playfully. "Don't get any ideas, Mabes. We've revoked your candle making rights after you almost burned the Shack down."

"That was _one_ time!" Mabel whined, but the others ignored it as their attention was pulled away to other activities.

"Whoa, gold-panning!" Dipper exclaimed, pointing at Old Man McGucket, who was wearing a racoon hat and was gold panning with other people from town.

They continued walking around for a minute, only to stop and stare at a small wedding ceremony. The peculiar thing was, there was no bride, or even two grooms, but a groom with a woodpecker on his arm. There was a small gathering, and a priest had just finished reading the vows. "I now pronounce you man and wife."

Evelyn watched, disturbed and with growing concern as the wood pecker pecked the man's hand and the man cried joyously, "I do!"

Evelyn waited a moment, expecting some witty or biting remark from Bill at the strange scene, but remembered after a moment that he wasn't there. Trying to ignore the strange, almost empty feeling that came from that thought, Evelyn focused back on the mildly disturbing inter-species marriage going on in front of her.

"… Did he really just marry a _woodpecker_?" Evelyn asked Stan, who could only shrug. She could tell he found it disturbing as well, but was choosing not to comment.

The twins, who had run in front of them to get a closer look, froze in surprise. "What chu talking 'bout?" Mabel cried, cocking her head to the side. Evelyn approached the twins as they continued to stare in mild horror.

Dipper was weirded out, before recognition dawned on his face. "Oh yeah. I remember this." He took out his Journal while Stan was distracted by another activity on the side. "In Gravity Falls, it used to be legal to marry woodpeckers."

"No way." Evelyn shot back in disbelief, sneaking a peek at the page. She'd read most of the Journal, but she didn't remember _ever_ reading about woodpecker marriage laws. If it was close to the back, then she supposed it was incredibly likely that she hadn't read it at all.

The newly married man approached the siblings, surprising them at his appearance. "Oh, it's still legal." He put a hand on his shoulder, where the woodpecker was resting. " _Very_ legal."

As he left, Evelyn gave him an odd look. "Creep." She muttered. Was this how most people felt wen they saw her eyes? Because if it was, she couldn't blame their stares.

She focused back on the rest of the activities when an announcer called out, "Come one and all for the opening ceremonies!"

The twins shared an excited glance, before looking at Evelyn and their uncle, who had just come back from one of the many displays around town.

"Evie, Grunkle Stan, you coming?" Mabel called.

Evelyn nodded and moved to join them, but Stan showed nothing but contempt at the mere thought of staying. "No, thank you!" he grumbled. knowing that he was going to leave his very adventurous nieces and nephews alone, he decided to lay down some rules before he left. "Just remember if you three come back to the Shack talking like these people, you're dead to me."

Seeing an opportunity to bug him, the twins pounced on it gleefully. "There's a carpetbagger in the turnip cellar!" Dipper cried, trying to act like a pioneer.

"Well hornswabber my haversack!" Mabel responded. The two spit on the ground in unison and ran off, laughing at their perceived wit.

Evelyn turned to her uncle with a smile. "I'll watch out for them, Grunkle Stan. You should try to get out of here before they pull you into a folk dance."

Stan shuddered at the thought, and nodded. "And don't you _dare_ come back dressed like one of them." He warned.

Evelyn shook her head, amused. "I won't. See ya, Grunkle Stan." She quickly hugged him, feeling him tense up in surprise.

Even though her uncle acted tough, Evelyn knew that he cared about them and enjoyed having them in his house. He'd been there for her since she was a baby and she knew that, even if he didn't hug her often, it didn't mean he didn't want a hug at all.

She let go a moment later and ran off, barely hearing his gruff farewell. With a sigh, Evelyn chased after her siblings. For some reason, she could tell today would be a trying day for her.

 **-DaLD-**

 **Happy New Years' Eve! Sorry for the short chapter, but I'm a little rushed for time at the moment. To make up for that, the interview will be taking place in this very author's note! It's my first time doing this, so I'm not going to go all out, but Bill and Evie will be answering your questions to the best of their ability. If I end up missing one of your questions, feel free to chew me out in a review.**

 **First, to Bill from Dragongirl1806:** _Jealous, are we? Little Dorito? Is your little bird attracting the attention of a few humans? HA. Oh, you're just too funny, my Isosceles friend. It's almost as if you simply cannot stand her to be with anyone other than you… though, she's noticing that you're getting a bit possessive…_ _Might wanna fix that. After all, you tricked Ford, you can trick Evie too... Oh, but that would be too much now wouldn't it...? After all that has happened, you wont be able to stand manipulating her, now will you? Or is your "friendship" all a lie? I wouldn't be surprised, my three-sided pal. After all, you cannot truly "love" her, can you? You've been waiting one billion years for the prophecy... You can conquer this world... Yet you fall for a measly little human? Tch, I'm ashamed. Truly ashamed. I thought more of you, my triangular amigo. (Ran out of ideas for the word "friend" lol) HA. You don't need her. You don't need ANYONE. You only need to destroy that rift... So why go through all this trouble to make her believe that you're her friend? You cannot stop your demise, Bill... Or perhaps... A Little Bird goes a long way?_

 **Bill:** _ **I find it hilarious that you're acting as though you've got me all figured out! And who told you I can't love? I love power, after all. Is it really a stretch for me to feel something for a human? Well, you'll probably not understand anyway, so I won't bother explaining the complexities of my consciousness to you. The rift WILL be destroyed, my friends will be free, and I will get what I want, all with Little Bird at my side. It just might take longer than I thought…**_

 **Another one for Bill, from Dragon:** __ _Something BIG? Manipulation of the Pines family? Allies...? Little Bird's trust...? Bill, you astound me, but really... What is it you want with little bird? I have tried and failed to guess your true motive... So what is it you want with the little red-eyed fleshbag, eh? I can't imagine what you'd want the girl... You could have infinite power. You could kill them all with a snap of your fingers. Yet you keep them, alive and well. Like farm animals. Is that it? Are you keeping them until they are ready for slaughter? Or maybe... It's all a game to you._

 **Bill:** _ **You know, just to torment you a bit, I don't think I'll tell you what I want with Little Bird. It's much more amusing to me to watch you tire yourself out trying to guess my motives! And I'll play nice with her family until they become too much of a nuisance for me and my plans.**_

 **From Dragon, to Bill:** _HA. Oh I had a LAUGH at this. Your Little Birdy DOES have a... Darker side. I see... But there is the problem of her siblings... She obviously loves them... Maybe too much for her own good, don't you think?_ __

 _Get rid of them? No, I don't think you need to go so far as to destroy them... Besides, she'd never trust you again, or... LIKE you again if you killed them. Isn't that strange? Well... I suppose humans ARE different from us... More close-minded. But, I have a better idea. Simply, erase them from her thoughts, and her from theirs. It would be like they were just twins, no older red-eyed sibling to obscure their own little path through life... And then... Little Bird could be yours, and there'd be no one to stop you. After all... You can get your queen, anyways, can't you? You ARE Bill Cipher after all... The most powerful being in the universe... And with my foresight... I could help you get your Birdy... After all... This is the year you shall break free, as my foresight recalls. I gave you your all-knowing abilities, I gave you your infinite power... All I ask, is that you listen to me... As I guide you to your ideal future, with Evelyn at your side..._

 **Bill:** _ **Hmm… for once, your nonsense actually has some valuable advice. But to go about that won't be without risks… I'd have to be physically there, just to make sure I don't erase to much… but it does show promise. It's always good to prepare for the worst. Maybe I won't smite you after all!**_

 **I'm terribly sorry for Bill, he's quite rude. But I agree too, that would be a good idea… but am I really willing, as an author, to let that happen? I guess only time will tell…**

 **To break up all the Bill questions, here's one for Evie, from Dragon:** _Sheesh, that argument was heated. Guess I should tell you what that was about. In case you were not aware, Bill is made of pure energy and supposedly has "no weakness". Of course, I could tell you what that is, but for now, I shall see if you are able to figure it all out on your own. Or perhaps your little Demon friend shall tell you. However, his words were his nature. Just as you cannot change your pretty little eyes, Bill cannot change his demeanor._ _  
_ _Secondly, I want to know this; What do you consider your relationship with him to be? I could tell you what he thinks, but of course, that would ruin the surprise._

 **Evelyn:** I didn't mean to be so rude, it's just that Bill's so…ugh! He acts all 'holier than thou' and talks about torture like it's nothing, then next thing I know, he's being supportive and concerned. I just don't get him! I don't know if he's even safe. And why am I telling you this? Who are you? Where am I?

 **Let's let Evie calm down for a moment, then she'll finish the question.**

Okay, umm… my relationship with Bill? I'd say he was a friend if he wasn't all over the place. I'd like to trust him, I feel like I _need_ to trust him, but every time I try, I think of all the ways this could backfire on me, and I feel myself pulling back. It's like there's this… connection, this string keeping me with him, and I don't understand any of it.

 **Now the last one from Dragon for Bill is:** _What really IS a Dream Demon without their Little Bird? Bill, you do, and still baffle me. Honestly, you seem to be... Careless? The Bill I thought I knew isn't careless, is he? (He? I mean, Bill is made of pure energy, so... Would he have anything that defines him as male?) Why do you need Evelyn for your plans? You've ignored me time and time again, yet with no response. I may be of Little Bird's kind, but I know MUCH more about you than most... So really... Tell us, and my fellow readers what you want with her. We wont tell Little Bird, we promise._

 **Bill:** _ **I'll have you know that I am**_ _ **definitely**_ _ **a male, human. And I'm not careless, Little Bird's just tricky and complicated, like most humans. They're simple when it comes to their minds, but their… emotions are weird. And I don't need Little Bird for my main plans; the Rift will be opened, with or without her. She just happens to be involved in something she doesn't understand yet, something that started when she was born. But, I think I'll leave you hanging for now. I know that I'm going to reveal my plans involving Little Bird to her one day, and you'll just have to wait until then too.**_

 **To Bill, from redvintage888:** _I'd like to ask bill if he'll shed any information on his little scheme that he has._

 **Bill:** _ **I think I've given enough hints to entertain all your 'fan' theories, but I guess I'll give you one more. No matter how hard Little Bird tries to run away from me, she'll always somehow find her way back, and that's not a coincidence.**_

 **And finally, from redvintage888 to Evelyn:** __ _And also how Evie would handle if bill were to put her or her family in danger._

 **Evelyn:** If Bill put my family in danger… I-I don't know what I'd do. I'd fight to keep them safe, obviously. I know that it's a worry of mine, that he'll turn on me… but I honestly haven't contemplated that option much. I guess I haven't thought about it too much because it's too horrible for me to think about, and a part of me really hopes he's a good guy.

 **Anyway, this marks the end of the interview! I apologize if it bothers anyone; it wasn't too easy to write. Bill's a naturally rude demon, and I had to tone down what I believed his reaction would be to some of the questions. But a huge thank you to Dragongirl1806 and redvintage888 for participating in my first interview! Please don't take anything Bill said to heart, and I hope you enjoyed this brief chapter.**

 **The next chapter will be posted next year. Once I've written a bit more. Have a happy New Year!**

 **Please favourite, follow and/or review! And if there are any serious spelling errors, please forgive me! See you all next year! -Aria**

 **I don't own Gravity Falls.**


	27. Chapter XXVI: Irrational Treasure (p 2)

Evelyn caught up with her siblings a few minutes later, and the three pushed their way forward to the front of the crowd that was assembling around a large wooden stage.

Evelyn felt curious as to why the stage had been set up, until Sheriff Blubs and Deputy Durland got up on the stage.

"Here-ye! Here-ye! Ye olde commencement ceremony is about to commence!" Sheriff Blubs cried.

His Deputy began ringing a bell rigorously, a pleased look on his face. "Woo! I got a bell!"

In the crowd an old lady suddenly cried out, "Oh, no! police my purse!" as a man ran off with a small purple purse. Some of the townsfolk turned to her out of curiosity, and then turned to the police that were standing on the stage, waiting to see what they would do.

Durland paused for a moment, then went right back to ringing his bell. "Ring ring! Ring ring! Woo!"

Evelyn sighed and resisted the urge to face-palm, realizing the police would be absolutely no help. "Fine, _I'll_ do it."

She dashed off after the robber, and, huffing slightly as her side cramped from the chase, quickly managed to take him down with a well-placed kick in the back. Using some fabric that had been lying around on the station beside her, she deftly tied his hands while ignoring the muffled groans of pain coming from the robber.

"You have the right to remain silent." Evelyn mocked quietly, a little grin on her face that only faded once she didn't receive some snarky comment from Bill.

Shaking her head, she picked up the purse and walked back around the corner to the crowd. She calmly passed the purse to the old woman. "Here you go, miss." She said, smiling her customer service smile.

"Why, thank y-!" the woman stopped at the sight of Evelyn's oddly coloured eyes. She caught herself and tried to politely continue. "T-thank you, y-young lady."

"No problem." Evelyn replied, her smile saddening somewhat. While she was at the Shack, most tourists thought she was wearing contacts to boost the ambiance of the store, which worked out fine for her. But in the town, there were some who hadn't seen her eyes, or realized that it was her real eye colour, and they always gave her strange looks for it. But, Evelyn brushed it off. She couldn't change something as ingrained as her eye colour.

She made it back to her siblings' side just as a blonde girl she recognized as Pacifica came up to the microphone, wearing a racoon-fur hat.

"Howdy, everyone! You all know me, Pacifica Northwest, great-great granddaughter of town-founder, Nathaniel Northwest. I'm also very rich." She added arrogantly.

The crowd applauded loudly, not that Evelyn was a hundred percent sure why they were clapping. Was it about the fact that her family had founded the town? Or that she was rich? She decided to believe it was the former as Pacifica continued speaking once the crowd stopped their applause, her parents sitting behind her with wide, fake smiles. "Now if you've got the pioneer spirit, we ask you come on up and introduce yourself."

Mabel gasped, practically jumping up and down in anticipation. "Audience participation!" she squealed, excited.

Dipper glanced at his twin, feeling unsure. "I don't know, Mabel. She wasn't the nice to you at the party…"

"And Mabel was still sweet. That counts for something." Evelyn countered, patting Mabel's shoulder encouragingly. She looked at her sister for a smile. "You go up there if you want, Mabes."

Mabel laughed. "You're right! And its water under the bridge anyway." The 12-year-old ran up to the stage, giggling as she went.

Evelyn smiled. Though she personally didn't put very much trust in people, she knew her sister was a much more optimistic person… She could only hope that everything wasn't going to prove her more cynical views right.

"Our first newcomer is…" Pacifica paused, her eyes widening as Mabel got up on stage. In surprise, she said, "Mabel…"

"Hey Pacifica!" Mabel smiled brightly at her for a moment, further surprising the blonde, before she took the microphone. "Yeah! Let's get this Pioneer Day started! Right guys? USA! USA!" she cheered.

The crowd quickly took up the cheer, Evelyn and Dipper included. "USA! USA!"

A man standing near Evelyn who had a mullet and was wearing a baseball cap and wife beater with American flags on them began to openly cry as he cheered. "USA!" he sniffed, wiping his face. "USA!"

Pacifica looked like she wanted to be amused, but she glanced back at her parents for a moment, saw their disapproving and mildly annoyed looks, and immediately changed her expression into one of disdain.

"I'm sorry to break it to you, but Pioneer Day is for serious people, and you look and act ridiculous." She sneered at a startled Mabel, looking over her outfit with a cruel glint in her eyes. "I mean, a puppy playing basketball? Are you always this silly?"

Mabel tried masking her hurt at the blonde's sudden rude behaviour with anger. "Hey! I can be serious!" she puffed her cheeks, beginning to glare at Pacifica.

"You _do_ have nachos hanging from your ears, hon." The blonde pointed out tauntingly. She glanced back at her parents hopefully, trying to gauge their reactions to her verbal beating towards the other 12-year-old.

Mabel touched her earrings and blushed, embarrassment and hurt warring in her eyes.

For a moment, Pacifica looked conflicted, as though she wanted to say something to help, but resolved herself to finish what she'd started. Plastering on a vindicated look, she feigned sympathy. "Haha, wow, I'm embarrassed for you."

Quickly turning back to the crowd, Pacifica shifted back into her cheery public persona. "Give her a hand everybody!"

The crowd applauded, but Dipper and Evelyn exchanged concerned looks. They hadn't heard what had been said, but they could tell Mabel was hurt by it, something that made Evelyn's blood boil.

Pacifica continued to talk to the crowd, but the two siblings hurried to get through the crowd, trying to reach their despondent sister as she walked off stage.

"Excuse me." Dipper would say politely every time they tried to pass someone, but Evelyn merely gave them an apologetic glance, too concerned about her sister to take the time to apologize.

They reached their sister, and Dipper immediately asked, "Hey, you okay?"

Evelyn wrapped an arm around her sister for comfort, and Mabel greedily snuggled into her sister's side, enjoying the comfort it gave her.

"I need some old-timey butterscotch." Mabel mumbled.

The siblings went and got some snacks, hoping to lighten Mabel's spirits after Pacifica's mood swing. As they bought the sweets and began to walk away to find a quiet place to sit, Evelyn was stopped by a man who looked at her and cried, "Witch!"

Evelyn mentally sighed, before a devious thought entered her head. She grinned at the man, who stared at her with increasing fear, and began to chant, "Abracadabra, wing of a bat, leave us alone or I'll turn you into a mat!"

He scrambled away, crying, "WITCH!"

Evelyn laughed and headed with the twins to sit beside the statue of Nathaniel Northwest, for a moment eating their snacks in silence.

The silence was broken a minute later by Mabel. "Guys, can I ask you something?" she hesitated for a moment seeming to not want to know the answer. "Do you think I'm silly?"

Dipper hesitated, "Uh, nnnooooo?" he glanced at his elder sister.

"Of course, not, Mabel," Evelyn tried, "at least, not in a bad way."

Mabel groaned. "I knew it! The nacho earrings, the sweater. I thought I was being charming, but I guess people see me as a big joke."

She immediately threw off her earrings and took off her sweater, upset. Mabel tied it around her waist, ignoring her sisters' concerned look.

"C'mon, Mabel, you love that sweater!" Dipper said, worried.

"I did before Pacifica ruined it for me. She ruins everything! I thought we were becoming friends!" Mabel mumbled.

"Mabes, you shouldn't change every aspect of yourself just because someone says something rude, even Pacifica." Evelyn reproached. She did _not_ want her twelve-year old sister to go down that path. "You tried your best to be her friend, but… some things are harder to change than others."

Dipper was much rasher with his anger. No one hurt his sister. He stood up and turned around, glaring at the statue of Nathaniel Northwest. "Pacifica! Why does she think that being related to the town founder means she can treat everyone like garbage?"

Suddenly he gasped, remembering something. "Wait a minute! I feel like I read something about Pacifica's great-great grandfather before."

Evelyn stared at him curiously as he began to flip through the Journal, a look of concentration on his face. "Of course! Oh, this is perfect." He deepened his voice and began, "In my investigations…" he paused and looked at is sisters. "Should-should I do the voice?"

Mabel said, "Nuh uh." At the same time, Evelyn grimaced and replied, "I'd prefer it if you didn't."

Dipper nodded awkwardly. "I'll just read…normal." Clearing his throat, he began. "'In my investigations, I recently made a discovery. Nathaniel Northwest may not be the true founder of Gravity Falls! I believe this secret is emburied somewhere on the enclosed document. If only I could crack the code.'"

Evelyn reached over Dipper's shoulder and plucked the document from it's place on the page, carefully opening to reveal an unintelligible series of letters, numbers, symbols, and words littered across the yellowed page.

Evelyn made a sound of surprise as Dipper exclaimed excitedly, "Oh, man! If this cover-up is true, it mean's Pacifica's whole family is a fraud. This could be a major conspiracy!"

"Really?" Mabel asked, beginning to look intrigued.

Evelyn smiled at his enthusiasm as Dipper replied with, "I've got to investigate this!"

"Well, I'm coming along for sure." Evelyn said. "Conspiracies are always fun."

"Wait!" Mabel cried as Dipper began to get up. "I'm coming with you. Conspiracies are serious, right?"

Dipper exchanged a look with his elder sister. "Oh yeah, definitely." Dipper said emphatically. "Of course they are." Evelyn looked down at the document. She knew what Mabel wanted, and she could only hope that after an afternoon of trying to be serious Mabel would realize that it wasn't all it's cracked up to be.

Besides, investigating a conspiracy with her siblings might take Evelyn's mind off of the absence of Bill, which felt stranger than it usually did.

"Well, if I help you crack this code, then nobody could call me silly again!" Mabel exclaimed hopefully.

"Yeah!" Dipper agreed. He put his hand out. "Mystery siblings?

"I though you hated that." Mabel said.

Dipper shrugged. "I'm starting to accept it."

The siblings put their hands together and, with a cheer, shot their hand into their air and ran off, none of them noticing the two figures hiding behind the statue.

-DaLD-

The siblings decided the best place to start researching conspiracies would be the library, so not ten minutes later they walked through its' oak wood doors.

By the fire, McGucket sat with a small crowd of children, holding a book. For a moment, Evelyn though he looked slightly sane, if a bit senile.

"Back in the olden days," he began, "Pioneers drew subsistence from telling stories 'round the fire." His eyes got a crazy gleam in them, and he lifted the book. "So let's eat some books, children! Go ahead, eat the books!"

As he began chewing on a book, Evelyn re-evaluated her previous opinion. 'Never mind, he's still crazy.' She thought, but no voice responded.

Somewhat disconcerted by the silence, and with the vague feeling that she was running blind, Evelyn refocused on reality as she and her siblings situated themselves at a table by candlelight and inspected the document as Evelyn flipped through a few books about ciphers and codes.

"Alright sisters, if we can prove Nathaniel Northwest wasn't the real founder of Gravity Falls, it will finally put Pacifica in her peace." Dipper said confidently.

Mabel looked unsure at the Pacifica part, but she became more upbeat once she thought of her part in the conspiracy. "And solving a mystery will prove that I'm not silly. I'm serious. Seeeriousss…" she trailed off, licking up a candy that way laying on the table with her tongue.

Evelyn sighed and rested her hand on her sister's head for a moment. "Mabel, we're in a public place. Don't lick foreign things, even if you get candy."

Mabel let out a muffled apology as Evelyn became distracted by her brother, who turned on a projector and began putting slides in it.

Dipper had been ignoring them and continued his earlier speech. "We just need to crack this code. Let me see… it's not Egyptian, it's not numerology," he mumbled, flicking through slides. "it's not, wait- of course! The triangle is an alchemist symbol for flame. Lighting the parchment on fire will reveal the secret message!"

"Umm, Dipper…" Evelyn began unsurely, but Mabel cut her off.

"It's so obvious!" she cried.

"Dipper," Evelyn repeated with more conviction, "I don't think burning the document will help. It's _paper_ , it'll burn up in seconds. Maybe just holding it up to the candle light will help." She suggested, though it had more to do with the fact that her twelve-year-old brother wanted to light a piece of paper on fire in a highly _flammable_ library, and less to do with preserving the document itself.

Dipper sighed. "Evie, I'm pretty sure that-!" he stopped his argument and let out a surprised cry, staring at his twin in horror as she wore a paper hat made from the document.

"Mwop!" she cheered. "I just made a hat." The looks she got from her siblings made her realize what she'd done, and she groaned. "Ugh, I just did something silly again."

Dipper was about to say something no doubt rude, but Evelyn suddenly pointed at the hat, her voice tinged with surprise. "Dipper… look."

Mabel blew a raspberry as she wallowed in self-pity, not seeing what her sister had seen, but Dipper's eyes widened as he realized what Evelyn saw in their sister's silliness. "Wait, Mabel. You folded it into a map!" he cried, before looking frustrated. "And I was gonna _burn_ it…"

Evelyn was about to speak up, an idea forming in her head, when she heard Sheriff Blubs distinctive voice from a few rows away. "We're on the lookout for two kids and a teenage girl who might be reading."

"We're hunting them down for secret reasons!" Durland's shrill voice added. They heard a bell ring as the Deputy cheered.

The siblings shared a look. Though the Sheriff could easily be talking about someone else, it seemed a bit too coincidental that they began trying to uncover a conspiracy and suddenly the cops show up looking for 'two kids and a teen'.

They hid under the table, trying not to be spotted as they heard someone knock a row of books off their shelf. Dipper glanced at his sisters, from Mabel's surprised expression to the steely and determined look in Evelyn's eyes, and whispered, "Maybe we should take this elsewhere…"

Evelyn nodded. "It's probably not be safe to stay."

Mabel looked at her hat-map, and Evelyn observed it as well, curious to see where they'd go next. "This map should lead us to…"

Evelyn recognized the area displayed on the map, and whispered, "The Gravity Falls Museum of History."

-DaLD-

They managed to sneak out of the library and follow the map unseen by the police, but as they travelled, Evelyn noticed Mabel dropping a few candy wrappers on the way. With a faint groan, Evelyn picked them up. Mabel should know better than to litter…

As they made their way to the museum, Evelyn swore that she saw the man who called her witch rallying a group of people and talking passionately, but she brushed it off.

They made it to the museum only ten minutes after their secretive escape.

"Evie was right!" Mabel chirped. "It leads us to the museum."

"You realize what this means, don't you?" Dipper looked up and squinted "We're gonna have to break. In."

Evelyn snorted at her brothers' hilarious 'serious' expression, and she mentally imagined him with dramatic, spy music playing in the background.

"Or… we can walk through the main doors." Evelyn shrugged. "My treat."

Luckily, there wasn't any need to pay because once they walked in, the trio were told that admission was free due to it being a historic day, and no one questioned why they were there, though the woman by the door did a double-take at her eyes.

"… and here are your free Pioneer Day passes, and your balloons, blue, pink and yellow." She said kindly, passing the blue and pink ones to Dipper and Mabel respectively, while Evelyn got the yellow one.

Dipper's expression hadn't changed from before, and as they walked in, he said, "We're in." He seemed to completely ignore his older sister's snickers as they continued forward.

As they walked in, Evelyn warned, "Mabel, watch out for your candy wrappers. It almost left a trail for the two police officers before."

Mabel was surprised, and began to look a bit embarrassed. "Sorry, Evie."

Evelyn laughed. "It's fine, Mabes."

They wandered around, looking for the clue, when Mabel asked, "What are we gonna do next, steal Thomas Jefferson's rib cage?"

Evelyn looked at her incredulously. "Why, are you planning to?"

Dipper was disgusted. "Ewww, no. According to the map, the next clue about the real town founder should be right… here!"

They stood in front of what looked like abstract art with a triangle frame, and Evelyn immediately knew that the clue would be even more confusing than the last.

"I'm lost." Evelyn sighed, approaching the exhibit as much as she could and observing it. It looked so nonsensical that she was genuinely having trouble figuring out any distinctive features on it in order to solve it. It was times like this that Evelyn could do with Bill's comments. He'd probably already have figured it out…

Evelyn refused to think about it too much and began to move around, looking at the exhibit from different angles.

"We've got to figure this one out quick," Dipper said, glancing at his older sister worriedly. She understood the seriousness of the situation more than Mabel did, at least. "I have a feeling those cops weren't at the library to check at books…"

Evelyn scoffed playfully. "No, really? You could tell they were into the books by the way they were flinging them across the room…"

Mabel nodded. "I don't think the one with the bell can read."

Dipper looked to his older sister, who was staring at the triangular exhibition piece intensely. "So, what is it anyway?"

Evelyn shrugged and took a few steps back, hopeful that the distance might yield results. Meanwhile the twins stood by a bench directly across the exhibit, humming under their breath. "Hmmmm…"

After a few minutes of staring, and moving around in Evelyn's case, Mabel got bored and sat on the bench. Evelyn was looking at the exhibit from the side with her head ridiculously cocked sideways, and was starting to see something forming among the mass of unintelligible squiggles, when Mabel distracted her.

Mabel had turned upside-down on the bench and, frustrated, yelled at the exhibit, "Hey painting, be less stupid!" she suddenly gasped, seeing something her siblings didn't. "It worked!" she cried.

"What?" Evelyn muttered, heading over to her sister with Dipper, who had run over immediately, and sat upside-down just like her sister did, her long hair covering the ground as though they were the roots of a tree. She looked back at the exhibit and felt her jaw drop.

"Wait!" Dipper cried, "It's not abstract, it's upside-down!"

"I think I've seen that statue at the cemetery." Mabel piped up, staring at the art that now revealed a stone angel with closed-eyes, hand pointing to the side.

Dipper was practically buzzing with excitement. "Let's go! Quick!"

The three siblings leapt up, though Evelyn lifted herself up slightly slower than her siblings, knowing her head would not appreciate the sudden rush of blood.

The twins clutched their heads in pain while Evelyn only felt a mild headache, and she half-heartedly smirked at them. "Ha ha, my head doesn't hurt as much." At Dipper's dirty look, her smirk became a bit wider. "I've always told you about stuff like this, but apparently, you've never listened."

Dipper groaned. "Shut it, Evie." He mumbled, half-joking. She grinned and, looking at her dizzy siblings, felt a flash of mischievousness, and said, "Last one to the cemetery has to clean the bathroom at home."

The three shot past like bullets. They were running so fast that Evelyn almost didn't recognize the officers as they stood at reception, having somehow followed them. She knew they were there, however, when she heard the sheriff cry, "Hey! Wait!"

Evelyn ran faster, and when the sounds of pursuit stopped, she let herself sigh in relief.

Despite the fact that some people stared, particularly at her, Evelyn and the twins didn't get stopped by anyone.

While they ran, Evelyn saw the man from before leading a small, angry crowd holding torches and pitchforks through the streets, crying, "Burn the witch!" Evelyn felt confused as she passed by. Was he looking for her?

Evelyn ignored it and looked back at her sister, happy to see that at least she wasn't leaving a trail of candy wrappers this time. It assured her that they had a little more time before the cops could find them.

As she ran into the cemetery, the twins hot on her heels, she almost ran into a middle-aged woman who was wearing period clothing.

"Watch where you're going, you witch!" she cried, her hand on her chest. "Sorry!" Evelyn cried, but didn't stop.

Evelyn reached the statue first, with Mabel coming in a close second, and an out of breath Dipper coming in last.

"No fair, "he gasped out, "Evie's trained and Mabel's hyper."

Evelyn shrugged. "Life isn't fair, little brother." She joked, playing off the stitch in her side.

Dipper looked at the statue or more specifically, at it's pointing hand, and looked in that direction. "The statue must be pointing to the next clue. Ugh, I need to run more." He wheezed out, clutching his side.

"You're coming with me next week when I go jogging." Evelyn replied absentmindedly, looking in the direction the angel pointed. "I'm not sure, Dipper, the statue's pointing towards-"

Mabel spoke up, cutting Evelyn off. "Oh, gross! She's picking my nose! Ha ha!" Mabel laughed, her nose stuck to the angel's finger. Evelyn restrained the urge to sigh audibly at her sister's antics. Mabel didn't know what that finger could have gone through… Who knew how many germs coated the statue?

Suddenly, there was a click and the statue's finger bent upward, opening a secret passageway to the surprise of the stupefied Pines siblings , and hooking Mabel to the statue.

"Ach." Mabel groaned, unable to unstick herself.

"Sometimes, Mabes," Evelyn began, looking at the passage-way, "I think you're a mad genius."

She looked back at her sister and, seeing that she was stuck, sighed and climbed up the side of the statue, grabbing Mabel and plucking her off of the stone angel.

"Thanks Evie." Mabel said, rubbing her nose.

"Mabel, look!" Dipper pointed, still transfixed.

"HA! Who's silly now, Pacifica? Bam!" Mabel cheered, still rubbing her sore nose.

"You are." Evelyn laughed. "But a good silly."

They began to walk down the steps, and Mabel took out a candy. "Now we're getting into real conspiracy mode. I feel serious. Mmmmm…" Mabel mumbled, chewing on her candy, and throwing the wrapper over her shoulder.

"Mabel, littering is still littering even when you're in a secret passage." Evelyn reproached.

"Sorry…" Mabel muttered, reaching back and picking it up.

Dipper shook his head at their antics, and became serious. "Okay, look out for booby traps."

They'd just gotten off of the stairs as Mabel giggled. "Ha! Booby traps."

No sooner had she said that did Mabel step on a tile that sunk under her foot, triggering a trap of darts that flew wildly from the walls.

"Tranquilizer darts!" Dipper cried.

Evelyn took her sibling's hands and they ran, maneuvering around the darts. Evelyn's heart pounded as Mabel screamed, the all too present danger sending her mind and feet into overdrive despite having run all the way to the statue before.

They managed to evade all the darts and fell onto the floor in a tiny room that was filled to the brim with scrolls, tomes, and other historical artifacts.

"It's a treasure trove of historic-y, secret-y things." Mabel marveled, heading towards a large stack of items.

Evelyn looked around, glancing at worn chests, large books, and a painted pot. It had the strangest design on it; something that looked like a yellow triangle with a single eye. Evelyn snorted. 'Even back then they believed in the Illuminati.'

She went back towards Mabel as the twelve-year-old stared at yellowed documents. On them were reports about the reason Lincoln wore a top hat (to cover his third hand), and one about Benjamin Franklin being a woman.

"My history teacher would have an aneurysm if he saw this." Evelyn mused, glancing at Mabel's excited expression.

"Oh man! Evie, he really _was_ a woman!" Mabel cried, trying to read the document, though she had slight difficulty due to the worn writing on the page.

Dipper hurried over to a stash of documents and exclaimed, "Hey, jackpot! Now we'll find out who the real town founder was."

Dipper brought the document over to his sisters, then began to read, "'Let it be here recorded that Nathaniel Northwest, fabled founder of Gravity Falls, was, in fact, a fraud… as well as a waste-shovelling village _idiot_.'" the siblings laughed, staring at the true photograph of the Northwest ancestor, a disgustingly filthy man standing among waste. "Oh man, bad news for Pacifica. Wait'll the papers hear about this!"

Mabel suddenly looked hesitant at the mention of Pacifica, as though she wasn't sure about wanting to damage the blonde's reputation. "…Yeah… and once people see that I uncovered a historical conspiracy, they can never call me silly, right?"

Evelyn frowned and put a hand on her sister's shoulder, when a faint sound caught her attention. Were the darts still coming from the walls?

She'd walked towards the entrance to check out the source of the sound, when Dipper spoke up, causing her to turn back to him.

"The true founder of Gravity Falls was sir lord, Quentin Trembley III, Esquire."

"Who's he?" Evelyn wondered, when a pale hand clasped her shoulder and another familiar voice rumbled, "That's none of your business."

Acting on instinct caused by years of self defense courses, Evelyn shifted her feet, grabbed her assailants' arm, and flipped him over her shoulder.

A second later, she heard a high-pitched grunt from the man she flipped and had just enough time to recognize him as Deputy Durland when she heard a whistling sound and felt a sharp pain explode from her neck.

The effect was instantaneous. Evelyn felt as if her world had just become lopsided, and she staggered forward as her siblings cried, "Evie!"

Her knees gave out and hit the ground with jarring impact, but a strange numbness was spreading through her, so she didn't feel it.

As her body swayed, eyes wide, she faintly heard Blubs say, "Tranquilizer gun. Always keep 'em handy."

A moment later, her ears began to ring and her body fell forward, barely registering her siblings' horrified faces as they ran towards her.

Her face met the cool stone, and Evelyn Pines passed out.

 **-DaLD-**

 **Hey guys! I know I'm a horrible monster of an author for not updating! I always used to be upset when authors took their sweet time updating, and boy, do I feel like a hypocrite. Please accept this chapter as my apology.**

 **Life has been even crazier than I thought; visiting family, exams, work, and me trying out politics (in a local sense) is enough to completely consume my free time. Luckily, I have been using my free time in classes to write future chapters, so at least I'm not falling behind in that aspect.**

 **Anyway, onto this chapter! I've done my research on what physically active people are like stamina-wise (because I'm certainly not one of them. I got third in my 200m track race out of four people, and I was feeling dead at the 100m mark.), and I'm trying to have Evelyn imitate that. She has become a bit lax in her exercise, hence the stitches in her side, but she's overall a very fit person. Her main focus back at home is Phys Ed and a few specific classes, so I'm trying to make her as humanly accurate as possible. Although her strength isn't entirely normal…**

 **I love ending chapters with cliff hangers, it makes me feel motivated to continue the next one! Hopefully you guys don't hate them. ;)**

 **Onto reviews!**

 **To JayFan67: It's not too late, since I fully plan on making another interview in the future. It's nice to see that people enjoyed it! And it's nice to know that you're doing better.**

 **To hcharper131: Bill finds inspiration in H.P. Lovecraft, I mean, it's certainly up his alley. Maybe I'll write a short about that one day…**

 **To Berry: I love writing scenes with Grunkle Stan and Evie! It's nice to see a softer side to him. I can't wait for her to meet Ford…**

 **To redwolf177: Thank you! And as for Evie not really linking the two together yet, I think it's a mixture of being so used to the mark that it's hardly noticeable for her now, and the fact that she isn't aware that Bill is a triangle. All she has to go on is Cara's cryptic speech and a shadow; for someone like Evie, who doesn't always notice details like that, she probably won't pick up on it yet.**

 **The quotev account hasn't been updated for a while because, well… I may or may not have forgotten my password… and I had used an old email as the failsafe (another password I don't remember), so it's been impossible to get back in. Maybe one day I'll miraculously remember it! Until then, all updates will be put on .**

 **bloodstone38: It's going to be an amusing journey, I can promise you that! ;)**

 **To Dragongirl1806: Bill is not going to be a very happy camper, that's for sure. ;) And I agree that those episodes are great, and they'll definitely be fun to write. I already have ideas… And thanks for the lengthy reviews, they're really fun to read through! I'll be doing another interview in the future, so your questions may be answered soon.**

 **Audrey Cortez: Thank you! I was hoping that the foreshadowing was decent and not too over the top.**

 **To redvintage888: You may see your OC in a future episode! For now, I'm trying to bring Evie closer to the main cast, but she can't jus hang around 15 year olds and her family all day… eventually, she may get lonely enough to meet someone her age. It will be fun to write!**

 **To ValeofArryn: You reviewed on chapter 5, so I'm not sure you'll see this just yet, but I appreciate the constructive criticism. It allows room for me to grow as an author. I'm trying to avoid Evelyn becoming a Mary-Sue, and believe me, she has many flaws, a people-pleaser being one of them. Her skills in fighting come from an actual need to defend herself as a child, and she certainly wasn't an adept fighter in the beginning. It took her years of struggling to get to where she is now, and that will definitely be pointed out in the future.**

 **Anyway, I apologize in advance for any spelling mistakes I may have missed, I'm absolutely exhausted. A huge thank you to everyone else who has supported this story with all your positive feedback, favourites and follows. You guys are amazing, and I am so grateful to have readers like you to have my back!**

 **Please follow, favourite and/or review! Have an amazing night/day!- Aria**

 **I don't own Gravity Falls.**


	28. Chapter XXVII: Irrational Treasure (p3)

Evelyn slowly felt herself coming to a while later, a strange feeling of lethargy and almost drunkenness settling in her bones. Though her eyes were closed, the teen felt her consciousness slowly returning, though she had no idea why she was in her unconscious state to begin with.

'What…' she tried to think, but coherency was still coming back to her slowly.

'... _ **Little Bird?**_ ' an all too familiar voice said, though for some reason he sounded vaguely distant.

'...Bill?' Evelyn thought. Hadn't he told her he wouldn't be in her head today? Or was that another day? Her mind felt muddled.

' _ **Little Bird, what in the multiverse just happened?!**_ ' she heard him rant. ' _ **I leave you alone for**_ _ **one day**_ _ **, and somehow you're knocked unconscious!**_ '

'We were… trying to solve a conspiracy.' Evelyn replied, details of her day slowly coming back to her. It was almost like her memories were wading through syrup before they could reach her.

' _ **Which one?**_ ' Bill asked disinterestedly, though she could still hear his frustration at her current state.

'The one with… Na…thaniel Northwest… How he's not the true town founder.' Evelyn remembered.

' _ **That one?**_ ' Bill scoffed, ' _ **I could have told you that smelly bag of flesh hadn't founded the town.**_ '

Evelyn her annoyance flair, more at herself and her situation than at Bill. 'You know everything, don't you?'

' _ **You're only figuring this out now?**_ ' Bill questioned smugly.

For some reason, his cockiness and voice made Evelyn feel relieved, as though a weight was lifted off of her shoulders. To hear him behaving familiarly in a situation where Evelyn felt lost and confused gave her something to cling to, something normal to focus on (as strange as that sounded). 'We found a secret compartment, and the cops got us.' she struggled to remember what happened next. 'I think… I flipped the Deputy, and then the Sheriff shot me…' she groaned. 'Don't tell me I was tranquilized!'

' _ **How**_ _ **do you always manage to get in danger?**_ ' Bill asked, sounding somewhat mystified.

Evelyn simply shrugged mentally, since she wasn't able to move her body yet. A thought suddenly struck her as her memories cleared up. '...Weren't you somewhere else today? How did you know something was wrong?'

Bill scoffed. ' _ **Your consciousness flinging itself into the Mindscape in the middle of the day wasn't exactly normal.**_ ' he paused. ' _ **Plus, I felt your fear for a moment, so I knew you were either in danger, or you'd seen in a spider.**_ '

Evelyn mentally huffed. 'You'd find those things creepy if one crawled up your arm too. Freaks of nature with eight legs…'

' _ **Little Bird,**_ ' Bill sighed, ' _ **as much as I enjoy your fanatical hatred for arachnids, Shooting Star and Pine Tree are trying to wake you up… I don't think your adventure's over yet.**_ '

Evelyn felt dread creep up her spine; what had happened to the twins while she was unconscious?

She struggled to become fully conscious but stopped for a moment, the beginnings of that strange… emptiness she'd been feeling all day coming back. 'Bill… are you staying, or are you going back to… wherever you go?'

There was a moment of silence before he spoke. ' _ **Don't get all worked up Little Bird, I'm staying. You clearly can't get out of any dangerous situations without my help,**_ ' Bill commented smugly, ' _ **And I'd like to see how this little… adventure ends.**_ '

'Okay,' Evelyn thought, feeling better. 'Thanks, Bill.'

' _ **Anytime, Little Bird.**_ ' Bill replied. Evelyn swore his smugness had reached a new high, and she wasn't quite sure why but she decided to ignore it; Bill was a strange creature on a good day.

Evelyn forced herself back into the waking world, and the first thing she noticed was the hard wooden floor beneath her. It felt crudely cut, and she was sure she'd get splinters.

The next thing she was aware of was the fact that she could hear her two frantic siblings' voices calling her name. She heard her brother calling out to her as he shook her shoulder, while Mabel cried, "Anyone there?! Help, help, help!"

Forcing the last bit of unconsciousness off of her, Evelyn's red eyes blinked and squinted, trying to make out where she was.

Though there wasn't too much natural lighting, Evelyn could see they were in a large crate, something that alarmed her. _What_ had happened while she was asleep?

"Evie!" Dipper cried in relief, seeing his sister stir. "You're okay!"

"Yeah, I think so…" Evelyn winced as she tried to move. Most of her body was numb, although she was slowly getting feeling back in her arms and toes.

Mabel rushed over to her, relief in her eyes as Evelyn struggled to move. The twins helped lift Evelyn up and leaned her against the wall of the crate. "Evie, I was so worried!" Mabel exclaimed, hugging her sister tightly.

Evelyn tried not to wince at the tightness of the hug, and struggled to move her hand onto her sister's back in a half-hearted attempt to hug her back. "How did they find us so quickly?" Evelyn asked. "I made sure that your candy wrappers didn't leave a trail…"

The twins looked away in discomfort. "Um, well, you see…" Mabel began, stuttering nervously.

"The candy wrappers would have ratted us out," Dipper continued diplomatically. "But… since Mabel picked up her wrappers after the first time…" Dipper winced. "They asked people if they'd seen anyone with red eyes."

Evelyn sighed, her head dipping as she wallowed in disappointment. Of _course_ all they had to do was ask for anyone who had seen the… weird red-eyed girl. It was so obvious that she was honestly annoyed that she hadn't thought of it in advance. She could have found a pair of sunglasses to hide her eyes…

' _ **C'mon, Little Bird,**_ ' Bill nudged mentally, ' _ **you can't help it if your eyes are more interesting than the other humans!**_ '

Evelyn cracked a small grin at Bill's attempt to keep her from being upset, but she masked it as she looked up at the twins, who were looking at her in concern. She didn't want them to ask about why she was smiling; she'd look crazy if she didn't mention Bill…

"They, um, actually mentioned something about a witch hunting mob too…?" Dipper added uncertainly.

"Oh, so I _did_ have a mob chasing after me." Evelyn hummed. She tried to remain lighthearted because she knew that if she let on that she was bothered at all they'd pity her, and that was the _last_ thing she wanted. She knew needed to become stronger and less affected by what others said about, if not for herself, then for her siblings. Today would just have to be the day she started…

Her necklace sent a wave of comfort over her and she smiled properly, before realizing that the ground felt like it was moving. "Where are we?" she asked.

"Blubs and Durland locked us in a crate and are taking us to Washington, D.C." Dipper supplied. "We're on a train heading there now."

Evelyn could faintly hear the sound of a train speeding down the tracks when she listened closely and nodded. "Why?"

She needed as much information as possible if she was going to try and get them out of there.

"Well, after you'd been…" Dipper swallowed, avoiding the word 'shot', and continued explaining the strange tale of the eight-and-a-half president, with Mabel chipping in every now and then with her side of the story.

After retelling their adventure, Mabel groaned. "I can't believe we're trapped! I'm starving!"

She broke off a piece of peanut brittle from the giant block that encased the old president and, before Evelyn could stop her from eating the incredibly old treat, Mabel popped it in mouth.

"Mabel…!" Any reprimand Evelyn had died on her tongue as the giant block of peanut brittle began to crack. It fell apart, freeing the man that was inside.

The siblings screamed as the man took a gasping breath and jumped forward. "It is I, Quentin Trembley!" he immediately tore off his pants, revealing his large undergarments as he stared down at them.

Evelyn stared at him in bewilderment and shock as Bill laughed hysterically in her mind at her reaction. ' _ **I'd be angry at him for being half-naked in front of you,**_ ' Bill said between laughing fits, ' _ **but he's a loon, and your reaction-!**_ ' He howled, his laughter echoing almost maniacally.

Evelyn mentally huffed. So maybe she was slightly embarrassed and beyond confused, it wasn't her fault!

"You're alive!" Dipper gasped. "But how?"

Mabel was piecing together the crazy mystery faster than her siblings could keep up. "Peanut brittle really _does_ have life-sustaining properties! You're not silly, you're brilliant!"

Quentin Trembley chuckled, seeming oblivious to the looks he was getting from Dipper and Evelyn. "And so are you, dear girl, for following my clues and freeing me from my delicious tomb!"

Evelyn and Dipper turned to smile at Mabel, seeing the truth in the man's words. She _had_ managed to solve the conspiracy herself, after all. "He's right! Making maps into hats, hanging upside down; your silliness solved the code that serious cops couldn't crack in a hundred years!" Dipper exclaimed.

"I told you that you were a mad genius, Mabes." Evelyn smiled proudly at her little sister.

"Oh, stop it." Mabel blushed at their praise, smiling proudly at her achievement. Trembley had been looking around as Mabel glowed from their approval, and became alarmed. "By Jefferson! We seem to be trapped in some sort of crate-shaped box."

"It's a crate, Mr. President." Evelyn and Dipper said in unison, staring at him with a deadpan expression. Was his mind still trying to wake up from his centuries long sleep?

Trembley remained unperturbed by their brusqueness and pulled out a small skeleton key with more confidence than Evelyn thought a man who just broke free from peanut brittle, only to find himself in a crate, could be. "Good thing I have my President's Key, which can open any lock in America!"

He then repeatedly slammed the key into the wood, as though a lock would eventually materialize in the wood.

Dipper was beginning to look a bit hopeless. "I...don't think that's gonna work."

Trembley sighed, and angrily proclaimed, "Wood! My age old enemy." He then began to look around pensively. "In order to get out of here, this is going to take the silliest plan ever conceived."

Dipper smiled. "I think I know who can help you."

Evelyn nodded in agreement, and managed to put her somewhat weak hand on Mabel's shoulder. "Mabes, it's your time to shine."

Mabel beamed and then looked around, trying to find an unusual escape route. "Hmm. How 'bout… that hole?" She pointed to a small finger-sized hole near the bottom of the crate.

Trembley seemed to agree with Mabel's strange suggestion, immediately proclaiming, "We will leap _through it_!"

The two jumped for the hole, Mabel trying to wiggle her finger out of the crate, ignoring the strange looks she received from her seated sister and brother.

As Mabel tried to wiggle out of the crate using only her finger, Trembley shouted encouragements. "Almost… Almost there… Good! Keep pushing…" They both crouched down to talk Mabel's finger into escaping.

Evelyn and Dipper shared concerned looks. While Evelyn was all for her sister embracing her weirdness and being herself, she couldn't help but hope Mabel would decide that weird or strange choices weren't always the right option for getting out of tricky situations. If Mabel got the philosophy that weird was always right, who knows what havoc she'd wreak.

"...I'm not sure this is working." Dipper said, seeming to realize what Evelyn had. Too much Mabel craziness would _not_ be a good thing.

Mabel brushed him off. "Trust… the silliness!"

"Fiddlesticks! Keep going!" Trembley encouraged.

The older brunette forced herself to not speak up, seeing the truth in Mabel's words. Her sister had managed to solve the conspiracy by being silly, and the entire time they had doubted her and her actions, even when they were proved wrong. Evelyn knew Mabel was someone who desperately wanted her siblings' trust, and the teen began to feel guilty for second-guessing her sister's methods, especially when she had proven herself repeatedly to them.

That didn't mean that Evelyn couldn't prepare for the chance that Mabel's plan would fall through though.

"Go, Mabel!" Evelyn cheered weakly as she wiggled in her spot on the crate's floor, desperately trying to regain the feeling in her limbs. She knew if this went south and Mabel's plan failed, it would be up to her to break them out. She stopped moving, however, when the sound of flapping wings caught her attention.

To Evelyn's disbelief and surprise, the sound of a woodpecker pecking at the box rung out. The president to mention something about a third wife, but before anyone could comment on it, the crate fell apart.

"What the…" Evelyn mumbled, staring at the broken crate in shock as she tried to regain her balance after losing her back support.

Dipper rushed over to help support her as best as he could as Trembley looked at the broken crate in annoyance. "Well, we didn't fit through the hole. Let's rebuild the box and try again!"

Evelyn barely refrained from yelling in annoyance at the older man's antics. 'How on earth did he run a country?!'

' _ **Terribly.**_ ' Bill replied. ' _ **Half of the government was pulling out their hair and setting off small fires in protest. It was fun to watch though!**_ '

Evelyn barely resisted the urge to snort.

Dipper was similarly annoyed by the president's inability to think rationally. Focusing on the issue at hand, he cried, "We gotta get out of here!"

"Also good!" Trembley cried, turning to face them.

He rushed to the only visible door and the rest of the ragtag group following after, though Evelyn was leaning against Mabel for support as the feeling slowly came back to her legs. Their luck ran out however, as the moment Dipper opened the door in the train he ran into Durland, who was carrying a bucket of ice. The moment the Deputy saw them, he dropped the bucket in shock.

"Blubs!" He cried, seeming to be aware enough to realize that it wasn't a good thing to see the small gang in the doorway.

The four immediately turned and ran the other way, the twins trying to support their struggling sister. They managed to climb up a ladder (with no small effort to push Evelyn's weak body forward), but Trembley held them up by attempting to put an old skeleton key in the escape hatch, despite the fact that there wasn't a lock. Frustrated, Dipper snatched the key from Trembley.

"Give me that!" he barked, turning the handle to the door and allowing them to climb up onto the roof of the moving train.

It took Evelyn a moment to gather her balance and stop herself from falling over as the motion of the train rocked her already frail balance and support. If she fell, she knew she'd feel _a lot_ more than a slight twinge and weakness in her extremities.

' _ **You always choose the most deadly route to escape the bad guy, Little Bird.**_ ' Bill groaned. ' _ **Next time, take your chances with the two idiot cops!**_ '

'I'll be sure to do that,' she joked, 'because I think it would be a great idea to deal with the man who shot me with a tranquilizer gun.'

Bill grumbled. ' _ **Just don't fall, Little Bird. You've already been beaten up enough this summer. Falling off a train isn't going to make it any better.**_ '

Evelyn snorted quietly at his comment but forced herself to move, especially when she heard the telltale sounds of pursuit coming from behind them.

Only a moment later, Sheriff Blubs and Deputy Durland ran onto the roof, with Blubs huffing for breath to the point that Evelyn began to worry that he had asthma.

' _ **You were taken down by that lump of flesh?**_ ' Bill commented, and despite his clear anger at the one who knocked her out, his voice took on a teasing lilt.

Evelyn scowled. 'Hey, he had a tranquilizer gun. I never stood a chance.'

"There-is-no-escape!" Blubs gasped out, before kneeling. "I gotta take a knee."

"Dipper, he's as out of shape as you are." she whispered to her brother, hoping to lighten the tenseness he seemed to feel at the sight of the two officers. She was rewarded with a glower.

"Are you okay?" Durland asked, placing his hand on Blubs' shoulder. "Can I get you anything?"

Blubs smiled and pat Durland's hand, seeming to temporarily forget about the four 'felons' that stood precariously on the roof of a moving train. "Edwin, darlin', you are a diamond in the rough."

Evelyn was tempted sneak off while they were distracted, but Dipper spoke up. "Sheriff Blubs, do you really want to lock us all up in a government facility somewhere?"

Blubs focused on them and shook his head. "Our orders come from the very top!"

Bill and Evelyn collectively groaned at Dipper catching the attention of the officers, but something the sheriff said bothered the brunette.

"The very top…" Evelyn murmured, and gasped. "Sheriff Blubs, you claim that your orders come from the highest source of power in America?" The teen tried to speak eloquently, hoping that if she sounded mature they wouldn't notice the weakness in her legs or the slight lethargy she still felt.

Blubs nodded in confusion as Evelyn turned her head towards Trembley. "Mr. President, did you ever _formally_ resign?"

Dipper's eyes widened as he realized what she meant. Not having caught on, Trembley replied, "No, ma'am. I ate a salamander and jumped out the window."

Evelyn nodded. She thought as much. Trying to keep her voice as formal as possible, she began, "Then that means that legally…"

"You're still the President of the United States, right?" Dipper finished, beginning to grin.

"That means that you two, as officers of the law, can be commanded by _this_ president." Evelyn smirked. She was more than a little peeved with Blubs at being shot before, and she couldn't help but feel a bit pleased by their slack jawed expressions.

"As President of these several United States, I hereby order you to pretend none of this ever happened." Trembley paused for a moment, seeming to struggle with what to say next. "And-and go on a delightful vacation."

The president stood proudly, pleased by his decree, when he smacked his head on a metal rail the train passed by. "OW! Mmm yeeees!"

Evelyn gave the President a look that was a cross between concern and exasperation. 'No wonder he encased himself in peanut brittle. He must need a protective shell just to survive the week!'

She was pulled back from her musings by Blubs and Durland's exclamation for some water park in Grand Lakes, Michigan.

'They're given the opportunity to travel wherever they want and their first thought is Michigan?' Evelyn wondered incredulously. Not that she saw anything wrong with Michigan, but she was still surprised that they would think of a state first.

' _ **Some minds can't think of things outside of their little box.**_ ' Bill remarked in a snarky tone. ' _ **Where would you go, Little Bird?**_ '

'I don't know,' Evelyn thought, 'maybe London, or Morocco, or India, or New Zealand…' the brunette felt a bit wistful. 'The world is so big, and I want to see as much of it as I can.'

' _ **That can be arranged.**_ ' Bill said slyly, but Evelyn brushed it off as teasing. ' _ **It seems this little bird wants to spread her wings.**_ '

'I suppose so.' Evelyn shrugged. 'Becoming more cultured can only be a good thing.'

The brunette couldn't help but think of exotic locations the entire time they got off the roof and headed back to the Gravity Falls train station. It turned out that it could be incredibly useful to have a sheriff that could convince the conductor that it was in his best interest to turn around when one wanted to get home. The red-eyed teen decided to write down that useful bit of information later.

Evelyn was beginning to imagine herself backpacking through Tibet as she waved at a Hawaiian shirt-clad Blubs and Durland. Travelling would be amazing…

She refocused on her siblings as Trembley kneeled to be at Mabel's height and began to speak. "You've done a great service to your country, Mabel. As thanks, I'd like to make you an official U.S. congressman." he unfolded a black top hat from his pocket and handed it to Mabel, who was beaming.

She proudly put on the top hat and declared, "I'm legalizing everything!"

Evelyn sweat dropped. "It doesn't work that way sweetheart…"

'Please let Mabel never be in a position where she is given that much power…' the brunette prayed, to both herself and anything that would listen.

' _ **And why not?**_ ' Bill asked.

'Because the entire world would become a crazy, nonsensical place.' Evelyn shuddered, images of mandatory pink feather dresses and gated communities for pretty boys flooding her.

' _ **Sounds like my type of world!**_ ' Bill exclaimed gleefully. Evelyn guessed that he hadn't seen her visions of a Mabel-run world; otherwise she thought he might change his tune.

"And you, my dear Elizabeth!" Trembley exclaimed, standing up and shaking her hand. "You're a sharp one with a political mouth, so I'm appointing you to be the new Secretary of State!"

To Evelyn's bemusement, he took out another top hat and handed it to her, along with a pin of the Great Seal of the United States. "As Secretary of State, it is now your duty to guard that Seal with your life!" he exclaimed.

Evelyn smiled. "I'm not sure that's how it works, but thank you Mr. President." she bowed her head and put on a faux-serious expression. "I will make it my utmost duty to be a beneficial and wise Secretary of State."

Her straight expression cracked once Bill spoke up, causing her mouth to curve up slightly. ' _ **Now, Secretary Little Bird, how does your new position feel?**_ '

'Stressful,' she replied jokingly, 'I think I already see a grey hair.'

' _ **Don't age too quickly, Little Bird,**_ ' Bill jested, ' _ **I don't feel like reversing time once I meet you.**_ '

Evelyn was about to comment, when she realized something. "Wait, did you call me Eliza-" she began, but Trembley had already moved on.

"And Roderick," he turned to Dipper.

Evelyn sighed. 'So he's just bad with names period.' She thought. 'Good to know.'

"Uh-actually-uh-" Dipper interrupted, but Trembley ignored him.

"You dear boy are on your way to unlocking the mysteries of this great land. So I'd like you to have my President's key!" he held out a skeleton key to Dipper, who gladly took it, though he was mildly disappointed he'd not been appointed to become some member of the government like his sisters had been.

Dipper nodded his thanks and looked up at his sister, who shot him a tired grin. "How about we head back? I'm sure that Grunkle Stan's probably assuming we've been indoctrinated into a pioneer cult by now." Evelyn joked.

The twins sighed in relief at the thought of relaxing and, with Trembley in tow, they headed back into town.

-DaLD-

"And then he chased me around and spanked me with a paddle for, like, three hours. Bottom line, George Washington was a _jerk_." Trembley exclaimed, ending his story on how he met the first President of the United States.

"Ah-greed." Mabel nodded, looking at the man with something akin to awe.

"Well, you did sort of instigate it." Evelyn hummed; too amused with her present company to truly argue that he'd been the one in the wrong. He _had_ smashed Washington's priceless vase and startled his cat, after all.

As they walked into town, the siblings spotted Pacifica and her posse watching a few girls running around a maypole.

Evelyn glanced at her sister and caught her eye, before nodding her head in Pacifica's direction as her friends went forward to grab one of the girls.

Mabel stepped up to Pacifica, and the blonde only had a moment to look surprised before Mabel spoke. "Hey, Pacifica! I uncovered a government conspiracy about the eighth-and-a-half president of the United States! Do you still think I'm silly?"

"What?" Pacifica was confused, though even Mabel could see the shred of curiosity and excitement in the girl's blue eyes. "And who is that?" she pointed in the direction of Trembley with slightly more disdain as the man jumped around, chasing an eagle.

Evelyn sighed and considered stopping Trembley before the eagle got angry and actually attacked, but Bill spoke up. ' _ **It's entertaining to watch. Plus, if you're lucky, the bird might knock a functioning brain into him!**_ '

Evelyn sighed, but a smile still curved her lips. 'Don't be rude. Some of it may be the peanut brittle.'

' _ **That is why this human is insane.**_ ' Bill mumbled. ' _ **I like encouraging chaos and madness as much as the next multidimensional being, but that human's doing it all on his own.**_ '

Evelyn stifled a laugh as Mabel continued her conversation with the blonde aristocrat.

"The eighth-and-a-half president of America." Mabel explained, staring at Trembley with pride.

"How is he still alive?!" Pacifica wondered incredulously. Her curiosity was now obvious, along with her interest.

Mabel smiled and leaned forward, both girls stepping closer to each other as Mabel told her the tale. "It turns out you can hibernate in peanut brittle and it-"

Their excited, if a bit disbelieving discussion was immediately stopped when a strong hand landed on the blonde's shoulder, tightening its grip until the girl flinched.

Pacifica's face immediately paled, before she let her expression shift into a sneer. A mocking laugh erupted from her, though her eyes stayed blank as she stared at the confused brunette.

"Wow, you really are a sad, uh-dumb little girl." she glanced back at her parents before continuing. "Nice top hat, by the way."

Her parents laughed, causing Pacifica to perk up slightly, preening under their approving gazes.

Evelyn glared at the rich couple. "Well, personally, I'm a fan of the hat myself."

The Northwest couple turned their glares onto the teen, only to falter slightly at the sight of her eye colour. For a moment, a glimmer of recognition flickered in Preston Northwest's eyes before his face turned stony. His wife shot him an uneasy glance, but decided to ignore his behaviour and continued to make fun of the Pines siblings.

"Ooh, I see your… car is stuck in the mud." Mrs. Northwest commented, glancing at where Stan's car could just be seen with distaste.

"Enjoy walking home!" Pacifica crooned, as her parents stepped towards their black sedan. As the blonde stepped into the car she shot Mabel an uneasy and apologetic look, which the young girl didn't miss.

Dipper had missed the look entirely and scowled as the car began to drive away. Still bristling from their rude behaviour towards his twin, he turned to face Mabel in indignation. "Aren't you gonna tell her about her ate-gray ampa-gray?"

Mabel shook her head, a new hope in her eyes. "You know what, Dipper? I've got nothing to prove. I know that maybe I can be friends with Pacifica one day if I try harder, and that being silly is awesome!"

Evelyn smiled proudly at her sister. It always made her so happy to see Mabel reach those milestones of maturity. Dipper, however, seemed to disagree.

"Well, I haven't learned anything!" Dipper let out a sharp whistle in the direction the sedan had gone. "Hey, Pacifica!"

Dipper ran to the black car, which stopped once he reached Pacifica's window. The blonde glanced at him with feigned disinterest, but genuine surprise overtook her when the 12 year old shoved the documents through the window and onto her lap.

Dipper's expression was triumphant. "Nathaniel Northwest didn't found Gravity Falls, and your whole family is a sham. Deal with it!"

The car quickly peeled off, and Pacifica's clearly shocked and horrified face could be seen by the siblings through the rear window of her car. "What? Mooom!"

Mabel stared back with remorse while Evelyn put a hand on her shoulder with a sigh. When one matured, the other regressed, so it seemed.

Dipper skipped back over to his sisters, beaming. "Man, revenge is underrated. That felt _awesome_!"

' _ **Gotta agree with Pine Tree there,**_ ' Bill hummed, ' _ **Revenge is one of the greatest things in the multiverse.**_ '

Evelyn thought it over. 'While I disagree, since it doesn't really solve anything, I'm not gonna lie and say I've never done it before either…'

' _ **Ooh, Little Bird got revenge?**_ ' Bill asked, his interest peaked. ' _ **What got you angry enough to do that?**_ '

Evelyn smiled humorously. 'Maybe I'll tell you some other time.'

Before Bill could protest, Evelyn pulled her focus back to the group in front of her as Trembley spoke up.

"Children, I am needed elsewhere. Just know that I'll always be right here…" for a moment he put his hand on his chest, and Evelyn felt a bit warm from the 'in your heart' gesture, but he ruined it by pulling out a bill from his breast pocket. "On the negative twelve dollar bill."

He handed it to Dipper, who stared at it in awe.

"Whoa." Dipper exclaimed. "This is worthless."

Evelyn stared at it with interest. She wasn't aware they could even _make_ money that was this worthless! 'Who had actually followed his demand and made this?' Evelyn wondered.

"It's _less_ than worthless, my boy." After a final pat on the shoulder, Trembley suddenly exclaimed, "Trembley away!" and jumped backwards onto a horse, riding off into the distance.

Mabel stared at him as he left. "Where do you think he's going?"

Dipper shrugged, watching the man leave as well. "I'm gonna say… off a cliff."

"Who knows," Evelyn added, "maybe in a few years the town of 'Sudden Drop' will be founded?"

The siblings laughed and locked arms, heading out to find the last missing member of their family.

-DaLD-

The Pines siblings found Grunkle Stan in one of the stocks and listened to the heart wrenching tale of his misadventures, all the while trying not to laugh.

"...And then Soos came by and talked to me for like, an _hour_."

Mabel nodded her head in sympathy. "You've been through so much."

Evelyn smirked. "You must need some time to recover from your trauma at home, right?"

Stan groaned pitifully in agreement, and Evelyn laughed.

Internally, her muscles were still sore, and her hand would spasm occasionally from leftover sensations of numbness, so she was just amused to hear her uncle complain about his sore back. She personally didn't know what she'd feel in the morning, but she was sure that it wouldn't be pleasant.

' _ **You should have done something a bit more painful to that sheriff instead of letting him go on**_ _ **vacation**_ _ **.**_ ' Bill said balefully.

'He's out of the way.' Evelyn shrugged. 'That's all that was needed.'

' _ **He**_ _ **hurt**_ _ **you, Little Bird.**_ ' Bill practically growled.

'And now he's gone.' Evelyn felt a self-deprecating smile form. 'Believe me, I might be angry with them now, but hurting them for it will only hurt me in the end. Light revenge is one thing, but it's way too easy to cross the line.'

Dipper, completely unaware of their sister's darker thoughts, used the President's key to unlock the stocks. "It works!" he exclaimed happily.

Stan looked up at the siblings as he straightened up, and stared at the two sisters in confusion. "So what's with the top hats?"

"I'm a congressman." Mabel proclaimed.

"And I'm the new Secretary of State." Evelyn added, grinning.

Stan looked at them in surprise. "Pardon me?"

"You are officially pardoned." Mabel said.

The siblings laughed at their uncle's befuddled expressions. Stan shrugged off their strangeness and shook his head. "Oy!" he exclaimed gruffly. "You are never gonna make sense, are you, kid?"

Mabel smiled, content with herself. "No I'm not, Grunkle Stan. No, I'm not. Mabel, away!"

Mabel jumped backwards, hoping to execute a similar exit to Trembley's but only managing to crash into a few crates. "I'm okay!" she cried.

Evelyn sighed and jogged over to her sister, her mouth quirked into a grin. "Up you get, Mabes." She lifted the 12 year old up and dusted her off, getting a muffled 'thanks' in return.

Evelyn was about to berate Mabel (jumping backwards without looking was dangerous, after all), when the cries of a small mob caught her ears.

"Witch! Witch! Witch!" The mob didn't sound too far away, and though they hadn't spotted her, Evelyn didn't want to try her luck and end up burning at the stake.

"Well, that's our cue." Evelyn exclaimed, running over to her family, "Let's get in the car and drive, shall we?"

Stan glanced between her and the mob in surprise. "What's it with you always seeming to attract the weirdos?"

"No time," Evelyn huffed, "let's just run!"

The family ran, Bill's demands of an explanation echoing in her head as Evelyn laughed.

An eventful summer, indeed.

-DaLD-

Long after the Pines family had gone, the mob continued to chase after the 'witch', though they never found her. The small mob was beginning to get uneasy, wondering if there was even a witch to begin with.

Seeing the mob's doubt, the man who had rallied them cried, "I swear, I saw the witch with my own two eyes, and-" The man was cut off as a few men wearing robes appeared from the alley nearby. Their robes were red, with the emblem of a single eye covering their own.

As the small mob stared at the men with confusion and a growing fear more began to appear, one specific one at the forefront. "You did not see any witch," he intoned, "there was nothing there at all."

The rest of the town didn't notice as the small mob was dragged one by one into the darkness, and the early night was quiet once more.

 **-DaLD-**

 **Hey guys! I'm a horrible person, I know. But before you prepare the torches and pitchforks, please hear me out! I'm not great at time management, I'm a terrible procrastinator by nature, and the past months have been prettybusy for me, which made my writing less of a priority at the time (*cough*plus my horrible habit of starting new stories in my journal whenever an idea hits me *cough* *cough*). Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! It was strangely stressful for me and I read over it for two days straight, trying to make it sound better.**

 **Now, onto the chapter! I hope you liked the little cameo of the Society of the Blind Eye. The idea came from a dear friend, Berry, and though I may not take it as far as she had originally planned, I couldn't resist this little ending. Did they take the mob away because of Evelyn, or just because they mentioned seeing a witch? :) This won't be brought up again for a long time, so I'll just let that sit for a while. I wonder what theories this will create…**

 **I tried to drop some jokes and casual shout outs to certain fandoms and current events, since it was too perfect (what with the whole 'American History' thing going on), but one I wasn't sure about was Trembley's comment on Evelyn's 'political mouth'. I'm not sure this is a compliment or not; on the one hand, she handled the situation maturely, but she was also slightly manipulative, and I didn't know what else to call her in that moment. Hopefully it made you laugh or smile though!**

 **I'm always anxious when I'm writing Bill, so I hope he was well done in this chapter! I'm getting so excited about the future of this story that it's hard to focus on the present sometimes.**

 **Anyway, time for me to answer reviews:**

 **To Moonninjaluna: Thank you for understanding! And I'm excited for that revelation too. Their actual meeting will certainly be interesting…**

 **To redvintage888: What was that you said about authors taking three months to update…? (Sorry!) And thank you! I like having information to back up each aspect of the story, it makes it feel more real, you know? And I'm very excited to introduce your character idea in the future!**

 **To musicalocelot: Thanks! I'm happy to know that Evill is becoming a believable ship. I certainly love them together!**

 **xxxyangxxx2006: I feel honoured that this story was someone's 'I-am-consumed' one day binge-read! I based Evie's struggles with my own, having watched by brother and step siblings grow up from people who would play soccer with me in the backyard to teens who prefer to be on their devices in their rooms (still love them though** **). And this won't be the first deal Evie makes with Bill… mwahahahaha!**

 **To Berry: I hope your skiing trip was fun! Thank you for your advice and constructive criticism, it helps me figure out where my flaws are with my writing.** **Thanks again for all your help with concept ideas in the story!**

 **To Cinnabon68: Yeah, I wasn't really sure Evie being awake and aware would be a good idea, plus writing the whole Trembley discovery scene would have been a hassle. I love writing these chapters too, with the siblings working together and depending on each other! Sibling love is great to write!**

 **The-Thorns-On-A-Rose: I'll be sure to tell him! He says use a serrated knife when carving skin. Have fun…?**

 **To ValeofArynn: I'm glad you decided to stick around! I'm trying my hardest to make Evelyn a believable character with believable flaws, and the struggle and inability to let your siblings grow up is one that I had to include in this story. I hope you enjoy future chapters as well!**

 **To Guest: The idea of using a tranquilizer instead of a taser was stemmed from a few things: a video I watched in which someone was shot with a tranquilizer (not pleasant), a conversation I had with my friends about the possible non-lethal ways to resolve conflict while a police officer is on duty, and the fact that Gravity Falls is a crazy town, so why not?**

 **Dragongirl1806: That's a good idea for a future scene with Calla and Draco! I've been writing Calla's story recently, and there will definitely be scenes like that. She'll start out as a non-confrontational person in the beginning, but she'll become stronger, and scenes like that will demonstrate it. And sorry for the lack of updates!**

 **To B: *shudders* No, canon human-Bill is too terrifying to write. Bill will have a human form (if only to get closer to Evie) and I promise he will NOT be like the one Hirsch gave us.**

 **Thank you to everyone who reviewed to remind me to update and to tell me they enjoyed the story so far, it's nice to know that people are enjoying Evie and her adventures! Thank you to Berry, for listening to my ideas and helping me make them better, and thanks to Aqua Burst 07 for giving me advice and helping me assuage some concerns I had.**

 **I know the Author's note is insanely big today, but I have a couple of announcements!**

 **Firstly, musicalocelot decided to be the most amazing person EVER and drew fan art for this story! It's going to be up for the chapter of the tenth episode, since it's the halfway mark in the story and I'm a sucker for making a big deal about milestones! I absolutely love it, and I love seeing this story inspire creativity in others as well. musicalocelot, you are the greatest!**

 **If anyone else feels like drawing fan art for this story, please do so by all means! It makes me very happy to see it, and I'm planning on setting up a Tumblr page for this story in the future, where I'll display any fan art you guys conjure up, update info and possible short snippets of future chapters.**

 **My second announcement is a little 'game' of mine. The person who becomes the 300** **th** **reviewer will get a short Evill drabble (that I may or may not make canon) and one little clue for the future of the story! Let the games begin!**

 **Seriously guys, you are all amazing! I'll try to update soon, and with the break coming up I'll have more time to do so, but I don't want to set up a concrete day because then I'll immediately screw up the deadline. To all you wonderful people out there, how are you? Did anything interesting happen recently? Hopefully life is looking up for you!**

 **I hope you all have an amazing week! Please favourite, follow and/or review! Please ignore any grammar mistakes, I edit everything myself and sometimes things slip past me.**

 **Now onto the cipher! (Hint: I'm using the same cipher that was used in this episode of the show):**

 **Orggov Yriw zmw Dvmwb urmw lfg gszg dziwilyvh zivm'g lmob uli hglirmt xolgsrmt.**

 **Until next time! - Aria**

 **I don't own Gravity Falls**

 **P.S: I looked up when to capitalize president, since I wasn't sure, but it only made me more confused so please excuse any capitalization errors!**


	29. Chapter XXVIII: TPTCATW (part 1)

The Corduroy, The Pines and the Wardrobe

Evelyn ran into the room she shared with the twins and picked up a prepacked bag, practically vibrating with excitement. She was going to Wendy's today!

This wasn't her first sleepover with Wendy -far from it-, but it always made her so happy to spend time with a friend without worrying that they had an ulterior motive. Wendy, despite her younger age, was mature and enjoyed the same activities that Evelyn did; running, hiking, kicking people's butts…

' _ **What's got you so excited, Little Bird?**_ ' Bill asked. His tone changed to a more joking lilt. ' _ **Did you find a way to bring me to your plane of existence?**_ '

Evelyn snorted. 'No, you'd know if I'd managed that.'

She began to hum aloud as she double checked her bag for any missing necessities. 'I'm spending the night at Wendy's today.'

Bill groaned. ' _ **Again? You're always hanging out with Ice Bag. Where's your day for me?**_ '

'You mean a day to just speak with the voice in my head?' Evelyn retorted, amused.

She'd long since come to terms with the fact that Bill was either a supernatural being that was actually attached to her somehow (stranger things have happened; it _was_ Gravity Falls, after all), or she'd officially lost her mind. The latter didn't sound like a good alternative, but she had grown used to both possibilities none the less.

'You're in my head almost daily, so I don't think you need it. Besides, if someone were to see me talking to thin air like someone's responding to me, it might be enough to start a whole new witch hunt.' She added. 'And I told you not to call her that. Her name's Wendy.'

Bill ignored her last comment. ' _ **I still don't understand your ability to get yourself in these situations, Little Bird.**_ ' He complained, recalling the witch hunt. ' _ **It's like you're a human sized magnet for danger!**_ '

'Blame _that_ on the twins.' Evelyn thought cheekily. 'I'm sure I get it from them.'

She jogged down the stairs, jumping over the last two steps and heading into the living room. It was still a bit early, so Stan was still in his sleepwear and he lay on the loveseat, the twins seated on the ground below him as they watched Ducktective.

"Wendy's going to be here any moment, so I'll say goodbye now, okay?" Evelyn looked over at the twins; Dipper had perked up at the mention of Wendy, but Mabel was sporting a pout on her childish face.

"Aw, why couldn't _we_ have a sleepover tonight, Evie?" Mabel groaned, but she obligingly got up to give her sister a hug once Evelyn opened her arms.

"Mabes, we share a room. It's a sleepover _every_ night." Evelyn chuckled.

Mabel squeezed her tighter before looking up at her sister's face. "I mean a _real_ sleepover, with a pillow fort and snacks and nail polish!"

Evelyn laughed fully. "Okay, then. Next time I'll plan our own sleepover."

"Mabel, you need to give Evie some space." Dipper argued as he stood up. "She can't spend time with us forever."

"Oh, you watch me." Evelyn smiled and pulled away from Mabel's embrace. She opened her arms invitingly to Dipper and, despite his earlier speech, he went in for a hug as well, his cheeks tinted pink.

Evelyn squeezed him in her normal 'overbearing sister hug' before pulling away and ruffling his hair. "See ya, Dip."

"Bye, Evie." he smiled. He was genuinely happy to see his sister spending time with friends; it certainly wasn't something he saw often at home.

The doorbell ringed and Evelyn looked back, her excitement returning.

"That's Wendy!" she exclaimed, giving the twins one last hair ruffle. "I'll see you guys tomorrow!"

She walked past her great uncle, squeezing his shoulder in farewell. Stan grunted, but briefly patted her hand. As she began to walk away, Stan called out gruffly; "Not too late! You're working your shift tomorrow, kid!"

"I know!" Evelyn replied. She gave her family a final wave before running to the front and opening it for her redheaded friend.

Wendy stood in the door stoop with a laidback expression, and she immediately brightened up at Evelyn's appearance. "Hey, Evie!" Wendy crowed. "You ready for a day of straight up mayhem?"

"Always." the brunette smirked, closing the door behind her as the two began to walk towards a large truck that sat idling on the side of the road.

"You drove here?" Evelyn raised an eyebrow, a small, disapproving frown on her face. She couldn't help it; she was motherly and overbearing by nature.

Wendy waved it off with a smile, having grown used to Evelyn's occasional sisterly lapses. "Don't worry, I didn't crash. You can drive back if you want."

She tossed the keys to Evelyn, who caught them with ease and slipped into the driver's seat, gently tossing her bag into the backseat as Wendy climbed into the passenger's side.

The redhead whooped as Evelyn blasted the radio, the truck zooming along the road towards the beginning of the girls' sleepover.

-DaLD-

The girls had decided to wander around town for the day in order to avoid Manly Dan's 'Lumber Training'. Though Evelyn promised that she found it fun, Wendy was mortified at the mere thought of having her friend go through it again.

"No way, man." she'd exclaimed. "I'd sooner let Stan do my makeup!"

Deciding a good alternative would be to hop from place to place, Evelyn and Wendy spent some time in the arcade (where they began an intensely competitive series of games), had a brief escapade in the Skull Crusher bar (where Evelyn and Wendy were greeted heartily; Evelyn due to her previous escapades in the bar, and Wendy because her dad spoke about her often enough) and began wandering the streets of Gravity Falls. Wendy spent time talking about the different aspects of a yearly life there, including the school.

"A teacher's really _that_ horrible?!" Evelyn exclaimed, surprised as she listened to Wendy's horrifying retelling of a run in with a particular teacher.

Wendy shuddered. "Believe me; I'm not doing her justice. She _sucks_ , man."

Evelyn nodded her head. She could understand the horrors of high school.

After a few hours of their little town escapades, Wendy and Evelyn rested on the grass by the cemetery, staring blankly at the blue sky as the car idled beside them.

"Ugh, I'm so booored…" Wendy complained, rolling around slightly. She glanced at her red-eyed friend. "What do you want to do?"

"Ummm…" Evelyn thought for a moment. What would be a good idea for an activity that they hadn't done already? There certainly wasn't a shortage of oddities or the supernatural, but Evelyn wasn't positive that she wanted to drag her fifteen year old friend on a potentially dangerous and strange adventure…

Normally Bill would have reminded her of something she could do to pass the time, but the voice in her head had complained that they were being 'too boring' and had drifted away from her, so he was a no-show. Personally, Evelyn thought that he was a bit jealous that she was focusing more on Wendy than on him, but she wisely didn't comment.

"What about a walk? Aren't there some trails by your house?" Evelyn turned slightly to glance at Wendy. She hadn't seen parts of the forests of Gravity Falls that weren't infested with ghosts or gnomes, and she wanted to explore more of it before she left.

"Sounds good." Wendy shrugged. She jumped up, offering Evelyn a hand. "There are these trails by my house I used to go on, and I haven't been in a while. We should check that out."

The two teens headed out, excited at the prospect of something else to do. Evelyn considered calling out to Bill, since he'd told her that he'd keep an ear out for a call from her if anything happened, but decided that he'd just complain about being dragged into a 'mundane' hike.

It was a short drive to the dirt laden road where Evelyn knew Wendy's house was located on. They stopped the truck a way's up however, and after Evelyn had pulled the key from the ignition, the redhead pointed to a tiny path just on the edge of the trees.

"That's the path my brothers and I used to take when we were kids." Wendy smiled nostalgically as she stared at the path. "Man, we used to get in so much trouble!"

"Let's see if we can continue that streak then." Evelyn smiled. The brunette was never one to go out of her way to get in trouble, preferring to hide behind books, but with Wendy she felt daring, as though she could do anything she wanted and never be pushed to do more.

The two teens began to make their way up the trail, Wendy reminiscing as Evelyn listened in amusement and took in her surroundings. The forests of Gravity Falls were beautiful, if strange; large pine trees, with some firs and birch trees sprinkled about, moss growing on every available surface, the chittering of squirrels and birds as the sun shone through the green pine needle curtains, and the eerie feeling that there was something _more_ just around the bend… Evelyn loved it.

By contrast, her home was quite boring; Piedmont was overly warm and sunny year round, and with the summer droughts, lush forests in the area would become dry and cracked, leaving Evelyn very little reason to explore the woods there.

She told Wendy as much, and the redhead snorted. "At least if you want to take a road trip to L.A. it won't take you forever." Wendy smirked. "Gravity Falls is crazy small; we have, like, one actual diner in the entire town."

Evelyn shrugged. "I think it adds to its charm."

The two wandered for a bit more, when Wendy began to get bored again. "Let's play a game." she suggested, lolling her head back slightly to look at her friend. "My bros and I used to take turns running up the path and hiding, and then one of us would look; if you're found, you need to climb up the nearest tree or you're it. It's like hide and seek, just a bit cooler."

"Sounds like fun." Evelyn agreed.

"You need to stay near the path though, and you're not allowed to fight when you get caught." Wendy added on as an afterthought.

"Don't worry," Evelyn laughed, "I don't think I'm going to tackle you if you find me in a bush."

"Aha! Now I know you'll be hiding in a bush!" Wendy exclaimed victoriously with mirth-filled eyes, causing Evelyn to laugh once more.

"You got me." Evelyn sighed in faux-surrender, putting her hands up.

"Alright." Wendy said decisively, turning her back to her friend and clamping her hand over her eyes. "You have one minute!"

Evelyn immediately sprinted away, grinning as she looked around her surroundings for an ideal place to hide. She spotted a large bush and dove behind it, only to find a small, barely worn path concealed there. Curious, and thanking her lucky stars for the addition to her hiding place, she crawled onto the path as she heard Wendy's footsteps heading in her direction, glancing every now and then behind her.

Evelyn spotted a tree behind her and decided to use it as extra cover. Standing up into a slumped position and without taking her eyes off the main path that she could hear Wendy on, she moved backwards towards the tree as quietly as possible.

She just hadn't expected the ledge.

The brunette's running-shoe clad foot met nothing but air and, before she could balance herself, she slipped. Evelyn's eyes widened as she was pitched backwards, her hands outstretched for the tree. For some reason, she couldn't open her mouth to cry for help and she stayed immobile as the now familiar sensation of falling took over.

'BILL!' she screamed mentally. It was almost a reflex; calling out to him in a dangerous situation was something she now did almost subconsciously.

' _ **What?!**_ ' he exclaimed in exasperation and panic, entering her mind just as she landed on a decline and rolled the rest of the way down the hill.

Evelyn coughed up dirt, a cloud of dust settling around her as she lay on the hard dirt floor. An old leaf and a twig were lodged in her hair, and a quick glance down confirmed that she was covered in dirt.

She rested her head down with a groan. 'What is it with me and falling?'

Bill sighed, sounding annoyed now that he knew she was okay. ' _ **... Little Bird, why do you always get into trouble the moment I leave you alone?**_ '

'Well, to be fair,' Evelyn huffed, blowing at a strand of loose hair, 'you've been gone for at least a few hours.'

' _ **Not something to be boasting about, Little Bird.**_ ' Bill chided.

Evelyn ignored his last comment in favour of looking at her surroundings. She'd fallen down some sort of ditch, though on closer inspection she noticed that it looked like some sort of man-made slope. She'd landed in a small clearing, with untouched grass and plant-life. There was a lone tree in one corner, and something off about it caused Evelyn to stand up, dust herself off, and approach it.

One part of the tree seemed distorted. The thick trunk seemed to protrude slightly, and the oddness of it drew the teen closer.

Once she got close enough to the tree, she noticed that the protruding part of the trunk ruffled in the breeze. Reaching one hand out carefully and ignoring Bill's warnings in her head, she clasped her fingers around what felt like thick fabric and pulled.

A wave of heavy fabric slid off whatever it was covering, only to land on Evelyn. The brunette fell on her butt with a squeak as her balance was ruined by the heavy cloth.

' _ **Classy, Little Bird.**_ ' Bill commented sarcastically.

"Oh, hardy-har-har." Evelyn mumbled aloud. As far as she knew, she was alone, and was far enough from the path to not be heard, so there was no reason to speak mentally to him rather than aloud.

Looking down at the offending fabric, the brunette realized that one side had been painted in detail to resemble the trunk and branches of the tree.

"What…?" Evelyn muttered in confusion. She looked up, only to gasp.

In the place the fabric had been stood a wardrobe.

It had a simple and elegant style, the oak wood carved at the corners to look like ivy. The two large doors had ornate metal handles, and the oddness of seeing a wardrobe in the middle of a _forest_ gave her pause.

Her curiosity won out however, and despite Bill's comments of approaching something strange in the forest, she carefully opened it.

The handle felt real under her touch- metal, smooth ridges from the design- but her mind still couldn't comprehend the household item being in the middle of the forest for no discernible reason. Once the oak doors were open, Evelyn felt even more (out of the loop); the inside looked completely normal, with coats and shirts hung up inside.

"It's a… normal wardrobe." Evelyn murmured, both relieved and curious.

' _ **You're**_ _ **lucky**_ _ **it was just a wardrobe, Little Bird!**_ ' Bill ranted. ' _ **It could have been a flesh eating tentacle monster and you'd have just opened the door for it!**_ '

"But it wasn't in the end." Evelyn shrugged. She could admit it had been a bit careless of her, but sometimes she thought Bill got too high-strung.

Bill made an annoyed sound. ' _ **Alright, you've seen that it's normal. Now go back to Redhead and do boring human things.**_ '

Evelyn sighed. "Alright, fine."

She was about to turn and leave, when a frigid breeze hit her, coming from _inside the wardrobe_. The breeze ruffled the cloaks and jackets, further proving that it was coming from the inside.

"What on Earth…?" Evelyn gasped. How could a breeze come from _inside_ a wardrobe?

The brunette, her curiosity overweighing her caution, reached out and carefully moved the coats aside. She was immediately blasted with another cold breeze, and her eyes widened in disbelief as she stared at the interior of the wardrobe.

The back of the wardrobe wasn't a wooden panel at all; instead, Evelyn found herself gazing at a snowy field. Fir trees lined the clearing, and powdery snow gently fell from the grey sky.

She looked back at the wardrobe doors, noticing strange symbols carved inside, and back at the impossible scene. She could just make out a faint glow around a corner of trees, and felt her interest peak.

"I know Gravity Falls is weird, but this is crazy even by their standards." Evelyn hummed, but she still found herself pushing aside the coats and hesitantly crawling inside.

' _ **Whaaat are you doing, Little Bird?**_ ' Bill asked in his warning tone.

"I'm just going to take a quick peek." Evelyn explained, now poised in the space between the wardrobe's interior and the snowy ground. "I want to know where the light comes from."

She couldn't ignore the pull, and nothing Bill said would stop her. Just a quick check, and then she would go back to Wendy and completely forget the entire thing.

' _ **Little Bird, you don't know where that goes. Don't pull a Pine Tree on me!**_ ' Bill complained.

"Well, he had to get it from somewhere." Evelyn shrugged lightly, now sitting just on the edge of the wardrobe, her running-shoe clad feet hovering just centimeters from the snow. Hey, if Dipper could get away with jumping into mysterious and risky situations, why couldn't she?

' _ **No, don't follow after the most dumb trait he has,**_ ' Bill whined, ' _ **something out there might tear you apart and flip your skin inside out to keep as a trophy!**_ '

Evelyn shuddered from the imagery, but set her shoulders determinedly. "I'll be careful. In fact," she decided, reaching for a loose string on a particularly long beige coat and pulling. "I'll use string to guide me back, just like in that Greek myth with Theseus and the Minotaur."

Bill sighed. ' _ **Fine, go be stupid. But if I tell you to run, you run. Got it, Little Bird?**_ '

"Loud and clear!" she chirped, feeling a thrill now that the oddness was fading. How often could one say that they randomly stumbled upon a wardrobe in the middle of the forest that seemed to be a portal to somewhere else entirely?

The moment her feet hit the snow-covered ground, she shivered. When her feet had been hovering over the snow, she hadn't felt any cold air seeping through, but now that she was actually in the forest she could admit it was much too chilly for her shirt and shorts.

Pulling on the string, Evelyn contemplated taking a coat to keep her warm, but brushed it off. She was only taking a peek- there wasn't any real need for it. Besides, for once she didn't need to try and be the shining example for the twins, so she could skirt her own rules for a bit.

With a grin, she walked forwards, following the blue neon light. "It's beautiful." Evelyn remarked, looking around at the snow-covered trees as gentle snowflakes handed on her hair and eyelashes, causing her grin to widen.

That was one of her favourite sensations; tiny snowflakes that rested on her eyelashes, staying there until she was out of the cold; it was one of the best parts of winter.

Barely suppressing another shiver, Evelyn marched forward, the string being tugged along behind her.

The forest itself looked fairly normal for one that existed in a wardrobe; the regular pines and firs she'd seen around Gravity Falls, and even a few bare birch trees covered in snow. But for some reason, she felt as though there was something off about it all. She supposed knowing that this all came out of a wardrobe might have something to do with it.

The brunette stopped walking when she felt a tug on the thread. Giving it an experimental yank, she realized that it had reached its limit and let it go. She would just have to follow the path back to the thread later; it wouldn't be that hard to spot it in the snow.

' _ **Little Bird, your one way to make sure you get out is gone. Let's just take it as a sign that you need to stay on**_ _ **your**_ _ **lump of molten rock, and ditch the look-a-like!**_ ' Bill tried, beginning to sound angry. Why did she want to explore the place so much?!

'Look, the light is just around these trees. I'll just look at it for a moment, then I'll turn right back.' Evelyn responded mentally, not sure if anyone could hear her. She didn't want to leave before she saw what it was; surely that wasn't a crime.

Evelyn peered around the trees and her eyes widened in surprise. The neon blue lighting was coming from a post in another snowy clearing. On the post was a neon sign for a diner. It had the distinct appearance of a diner sign you would see in the sixties or seventies and the brunette had no clue how it was still lit. Where was it getting electricity from?

Evelyn approached the blue neon sign with surprise and confusion, stopping a few feet in front of it. It looked to be in fairly good shape, with the glaring exception of part of the pole near the base, where there were scuff marks and fingerprint-like indents. She also noticed a small uneven part of it; it almost looked like an oddly shaped button.

Evelyn was just about to lean in closer to the scuff marks and touch the button-like engraving, when there was a sudden violent rustling coming from some bushes near the clearing, and the brunette jumped, her eyes wide with panic.

' _ **Start running, Little Bird!**_ ' she heard Bill's voice echo, and was about to follow his advice when a small, hairy form emerged from the bushes.

"Oh!" the creature exclaimed, "Please don't run! I wasn't aware that there was a visitor in our land!"

The red-eyed teen couldn't help but pause, taken aback by the creature before her. It had the figure of a small child, but with dull brown fur covering every inch of it except for certain parts of its face, revealing a small human nose, a cheerful grin, and large brown eyes. Two curving horns rested on its head above animal-like ears, and its furry hands resembled a human's, save for the claws it sported. Its feet were hooves, and it wore a threadbare vest over its torso.

Overall, Evelyn wasn't sure if it was weird or adorable.

"Let me introduce myself!" The tiny creature squeaked. "My name is Mr. Hummus!"

"Mr….Hummus?" Evelyn repeated skeptically, looking him over. It sounded like the name of a character in a show for toddlers to teach them about food.

Still, she decided to go with it. "Um… My name's Evelyn. It's a pleasure to meet you."

She reached out on instinct to shake its hand, and almost flinched when she felt sharp claws lightly scrape her skin as he enthusiastically shook her hand with a beaming smile.

"The pleasure is all mine!" he squealed in delight. "Oh, it's so nice to meet the Evelyn! Such a beautiful creature she is!"

Evelyn blushed lightly at the compliment, not quite sure how to take it. 'What is he?' she asked Bill.

' _ **Whatever he is,**_ ' Bill replied, annoyed, ' _ **you can probably drop kick him far enough to get away in time.**_ '

'Why would I do that?' Evelyn frowned. 'He seems nice.'

' _ **Yeah,**_ _ **seems**_ _ **nice.**_ ' Bill said. ' _ **Looks can be deceiving, Little Bird, in**_ _ **any**_ _ **dimension.**_ '

Evelyn looked at the creature in front of her warily, but when he only blinked innocently and giggled, the brunette was hard-pressed to feel threatened.

"So what is this place?" Evelyn gestured to the falling snow and wintry forest, still feeling remarkably confused.

"This is the great land of Granity!" Mr. Hummus squeaked. "It was once a land of eternal summer, but, well…" the creature trailed off, looking at the snowy ground sadly.

"What?" Evelyn wondered. This was getting stranger and stranger…

"Oh, I can't say it out here!" the creature squeaked, "The King might hear us! It is not safe!" He took her hand and began to pull.

"What are you doing?" the brunette asked, feeling uneasy.

"We need to find somewhere safe from prying ears!" the creature exclaimed.

"Um, actually…" Evelyn began. "My friend is probably worried about me; I've been missing for a while now."

"Oh, you mustn't go!" the creature cried, looking panicked. "Please, I-this world needs your help! It is prophesised that a stranger will save our land from a vicious ruler!"

Evelyn paused slightly, considering. She didn't entirely trust Mr. Hummus -not that she could take him seriously with a name like that either- but she couldn't quell the part of her that was interested enough to be willing to hear him out.

"I'll… come back, alright?" Evelyn offered, hoping that it would stop the creature from bursting into tears as he looked like he just might.

The creature's tears immediately dried. "Oh, thank you!" Mr. Hummus rejoiced, clinging to her leg and nuzzling his face against her lower thigh. "You are such a wonderful being!"

' _ **Little Bird, if he stays on your leg for one more second I will find him and tear him to pieces, then feed those pieces to him as he bleeds out.**_ ' Bill commented menacingly, his tone remaining passive.

Evelyn felt like commenting on her his horrible imagery, but was feeling too uncomfortable to disagree with him. Normally she would be all for helping the vulnerable creature, and would be more than happy to receive a hug, no matter how uncomfortable, but… she couldn't help but feel an uneasy sense of foreboding, like a part of her that was warning her away…

She wasn't sure what was causing it, but she sincerely hoped this 'King' had nothing to do with it.

The brunette awkwardly patted the nuzzling creature's back, before prying him off her leg. "I really have to go." she said apologetically.

Mr. Hummus nodded his furry head vigorously, "Of course! Of course! Return safe, oh dear one!" he waved as she began to walking away, staying under the diner sign's light until she had disappeared beyond the snow-covered trees.

 **-DaLD-**

 **Hey guys! Long time no see! I'm sorry about that, but hopefully this chapter will tide you over until I finish typing up the next one. The idea for this little parody-of-sorts of Narnia for the Wendy/Evie adventure was created in the wonderful mind of Berrybanana05, who gave me advice when I was in a slump for this chapter. Thanks for your help!**

 **Now, about this chapter; I'm excited to write Evie interacting with other people than her family, since I love the dynamic she and Wendy have; Wendy makes her feel more confident in herself and a bit wilder, and Evie makes Wendy be a bit more cautious and more mature. Everyone has a friend that brings out a different side to them, and I hope I portrayed that right in this chapter.**

 **I have a question for all you readers out there for a possible ending for this chapter: should Evie tell Wendy about Bill? It would definitely lead to a more serious and vulnerable moment, and I have a scene already set up in my head, but I'd like to hear your input. Yay or nay?**

 **Evelyn certainly has a problem with falling, doesn't she? Seems like this Little Bird hasn't quite gotten her wings yet. I wonder what that might mean for future chapters…**

 **Onto the reviews!**

 **Moon Ninja Luna: Thank you for your awesome review! You have a sharp eye to see more in that interaction with Mr. Northwest.** **We'll just have to see how that plays out… And I'm really happy that you think Evill is a cute ship! I'm excited to write future scenes with them.**

 **To redvintage888: No worries, I totally understand what you mean; I'm shocked (and happy) to see how far the story is going so far! And thank you, I'm hoping that I do well in school too! I really appreciate it when people tell me that the story works with the show, since it means I'm doing my job right.** **And I'm not going to lie, sometimes I'll be watching Gravity Falls and wonder where Evie is… Thank you so much for the incredibly kind review! It inspires me to continue writing.**

 **JayFan67: I love their ship name too! It's very fitting (considering Bill), and I can't imagine it any other way now. I hope this chapter makes your day like the last one!**

 **BerryBanana05: Thanks for being such an amazing person! I love being able to bounce ideas off of you, and it's great to have your support. I'd love to see any art you make!**

 **To starrat: Thank you for the review! I hope you enjoy this chapter as well.**

 **AngelPines: Thank you! It's nice to know that having the Society come in worked in the context of the chapter.**

 **Kawaiicake22: I love Evie and Bill too, it's always great to write about them together. And Bill will definitely get jealous again in the future…**

 **Fantasy Fan 223: Don't worry; I'll love the fan art no matter what! Take your time.** **And Pacifica will definitely be a bit different than in the show, but I'll try to keep her core personality present.**

 **Kristen Lyn Silver: Thank you! Writing Bill can definitely be tricky, so it's nice to know I'm doing it right.**

 **Renonea: I'm happy to know that you enjoyed it! I hope you did well on the test, and please put your education first!** **(Not going to lie, I've done that before too…)**

 **PokeTennyson25: What's the direction others stories go in? I don't read other BillxOCs because I try to keep my work as original as possible, so I already have a direction I'm taking the story that won't always be canon.**

 **Stacked Waters: Just so you know, your review almost made me cry; it was so sweet! I love the fact that you think I'm doing well with the story and Evelyn's character, and I'll continue trying to keep her as human and realistic as possible. As for Evelyn being a state bird or a national bird… that's up for you to decide (great pun, by the way)!**

 **To Guest: Thank you for reading this story and staying with it!**

 **FluffQueenOfEvil: Thank you! I enjoy hearing that the story hasn't gotten old for you!**

 **Jeminbee: I try to show the balance with Bill in his personality; he's a manipulative person who knows what he needs to say to keep someone on his side, but he has a temper too. He wants to keep Evelyn with him, and he has sincere moments with her, but their personalities are bound to clash, and I try to write that in when I can.**

 **Dragongirl1806: I'm planning on doing another interview soon, so we'll see what Bill's reaction is sooner than later! As for Calla and Draco, I'm currently finishing up the second chapter of the story and I'll try to have it out this week. Scenes like that will definitely show up throughout their first few years! And when it comes to the art, it doesn't have to be in the Gravity Falls style. I've drawn Evie as an anime character once or twice, and everyone has their own unique style!**

 **Anotheristo: Why is definitely the big question… one that may have an answer in the future. The finale of season 1 will definitely reveal something big, but what that is, I can't tell.** **And thank you for you compliments!**

 **To Marshimoon: I've wanted to go to New Zealand for a while, so I couldn't help but include it. And I know what you mean; whenever someone mentions Canada in a movie or TV show I squeal in excitement.**

 **StargladesTime: Thank you! And don't worry; I have no intention of abandoning this story. I'm too invested and reviews from you guys make me want to continue regardless of what's going on!**

 **So I'm working on the next chapter and I'm planning on publishing the next chapter of my Harry Potter story soon, but I'll be at Comicon this weekend, so it'll be next week. I hope you all have a wonderful week, and I'm excited to get your feedback!**

 **A huge thank you to JayFan67, who also made fan art for this story! I love it, and I'm setting up a Tumblr page once I get back to begin displaying the art anyone wants to do.**

 **Please favourite, follow and/or review! Please excuse me if there are any spelling errors, and no flames s'il vous plait!**

 **Till next time! - Aria**

 **I don't own Gravity Falls (and Narnia)**


	30. Chapter XXIX: TPTCATW (part 2)

Evelyn managed to climb her way back onto the hiking trail after finding a section that had looked like it had been walked on before. It had clearly been a path a long time ago, if the amount of dead leaves on the path was any indication.

The brunette stumbled back onto the path, only to hear someone calling her name. "EVIE!"

"I'm here!" she called back, hearing pounding footsteps heading in her direction.

Wendy came careening around the corner and, seeing her friend in more or less one piece (though she was shivering slightly) the redhead let out a sigh of relief.

"Geez Ev, I thought you'd disappeared, or ran off or something!" Wendy put a hand to her heart for a moment, before she became her laid-back self again. "Dude, you're like an expert at this game!"

"Yeah…" Evelyn glanced back in the direction of the wardrobe. "I, um, fell down into a ditch." Evelyn squared her shoulders, deciding to show Wendy exactly what had made her disappear for so long. "I-"

Wendy's phone lit up and began to ring, interrupting Evelyn's explanation. Wendy groaned. "Ugh, it's dad. Give me a sec."

The redhead answered the call, and the gruff voice of Manly Dan came through the other end. "No dad, I'm fine." Wendy rolled her eyes to Evelyn, causing the older girl to grin slightly. "Yeah, we'll head back now. No, my friend is _not_ 'in the mood' to tackle a bear or chop down a tree. Okay, okay, I'll see you soon."

She hung up and sighed. "My dad is so embarrassing!" she bemoaned, smiling as her words caused her friend to laugh. "Seriously though, you're okay, right?" she asked. Other than the odd twig or leaf in the older girl's hair, her friend looked fine, but she wasn't entirely sure Evelyn would tell her if she was hurt unless it was so severe that she needed serious medical connection. She'd actually been worried when the brunette had disappeared, though now she felt silly for being so freaked out. It was Evelyn; she wasn't someone that was taken down that easily.

"I'm really fine." Evelyn nodded, smiling at her friend's concern.

"Okay," Wendy began, "my dad just said we should head back, he made supper early."

Evelyn winced. "Your dad cooked?"

Wendy shrugged. "Let's just hope that its steak or something barbecued."

The two shared knowing looks, remembering the last time Manly Dan had tried his hand at making a proper home-cooked meal.

Evelyn hadn't known that lasagna was capable of exploding until that day.

The two headed back to the truck, with the brunette glancing behind her shoulder every few seconds, feeling more and more torn as time went on.

-DaLD-

Dinner ended up being steak, which had been cooked so rare that Evelyn doubted it had even touched the barbeque for longer than a minute, and after Wendy had dragged Evelyn to her room with a tub of ice cream and an armful of junk food.

"So, what movie are you up for?" Wendy nodded to a small stack of movies that lay on her dresser as she dumped the food onto her carpet, sorting through the different snacks the two had brought.

Evelyn looked through the different options for movies, seeing a few horror ones, some action, several slapstick comedies and even a romance film before deciding on some carzy-sounding horror flick. Something about a man trapped in a make-believe world that ends up being fabricated. By the images on the back, it seemed pretty freaky…

"Pick your poison." Wendy nodded towards the different sodas she'd managed to procure.

Evelyn shrugged and took a Pit Cola with a grin, silently passing the movie over to Wendy for her inspection.

"Hey, we haven't seen this one together before." Wendy nodded in approval. "This one's pretty good. The guts and monsters look real and everything."

Evelyn grinned at the description, having had a fondness for thrillers and horrors, but her mind kept drifting back to the wardrobe, to the land there and the panic on the creature's face.

She didn't entirely trust him or the land; there was just something… off about it all, but she couldn't help but wonder; if it was all true and the land _was_ in danger… she couldn't just leave the creature hanging. Ridiculous name or not, Mr. Hummus was a creature that deserved the chance to live without fear of some tyrannical king.

Now that she'd had some time to think, she knew she couldn't bring Wendy. If there was actual danger, and there was a chance she'd get hurt, she didn't want to drag her friend into a situation where she'd suffer with her. She was honestly grateful she hadn't had the time to tell her before, because she could now leave and help Mr. Hummus without towing the redhead along and potentially getting herself injured.

But she knew that Wendy would question why she was suddenly leaving in the middle of their sleepover, so she'd wait until Wendy was asleep, and then she'd sneak out.

-DaLD-

Wendy finally fell asleep close to four hours after they'd begun watching films, and despite her own exhaustion, she knew that this was her chance to sneak out without being noticed.

Moving as silently as she could, the brunette packed a small bag with a torch, her sweater, and a small bag of left over chips.

Evelyn grabbed an empty bottle of water and snuck into the bathroom to fill it up. She wasn't sure how long it would take her to come back, but she really hoped that it wouldn't be longer than a day, and that her rations would be enough. She knew that if it lasted longer than a few hours, Bill would be liable to throw a tantrum until she caved and headed back.

' _ **I don't throw**_ _ **tantrums**_ _ **, Little Bird,**_ ' Bill grumbled, ' _ **and I also don't do idiotic things like**_ _ **head back to a strange, unknown land by myself**_ _ **!**_ '

Evelyn scoffed. 'Name calling, really? And what's wrong with going alone?'

' _ **Oh, I don't know,**_ ' Bill sarcastically replied, ' _ **maybe the fact that it's easier to**_ _ **kill**_ _ **and**_ _ **dismember**_ _ **someone when they're alone and without backup? Why don't you just wake Redhead up and bring her along?**_ '

Because I don't want to drag her into this.' Evelyn responded as she finished filling her water bottle. 'It's not her issue to solve.'

' _ **It's not**_ _ **yours**_ _ **either!**_ ' Bill exclaimed. ' _ **It has nothing to do with you!**_ ' he groaned. ' _ **Please don't tell me you're developing a hero complex! There's enough of that in your family**_ _ **without**_ _ **you chipping in!**_ '

Assuming he was talking about the twins, Evelyn sighed. 'Look, if it gets too dangerous I'll leave, alright? I'm just going to hear him out first.'

Bill grumbled, completely disagreeing with her plan, as Evelyn quietly snuck into the main room in her attempt to reach the front door without being spotted.

The sound of a throat being cleared nearly made her jump out of her skin.

"Why are you sneaking out?" Wendy's confused and annoyed voice came from the shadowy corner she'd ignored on her trip to the door.

Evelyn put a hand over her racing heart as she stared at her friend's disapproving gaze. "I-I thought you were asleep." she mumbled, trying to stay quiet in order to keep the rest of the Corduroy house asleep.

"Hey, I'm all for you rebelling and sneaking out, but why now?" the redhead shook her head. "Where are you going?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you." Evelyn replied honestly, shrugging as a repentant look crossed her face.

"Try me, Evie. Believe me; I've snuck out to do crazy things before."

"From the way you talk, you'd think _you_ were the oldest out of the two of us." Evelyn grumbled. Seeing her friend's determined posture in the dark room, she sighed. "You're not gonna leave until I tell you, are you?"

"Nope." Wendy smirked. "So spill it, Lynnie."

"Lynnie?" Evelyn's nose crinkled in confusion.

Wendy shrugged. "I was trying something new."

Evelyn rubbed the back of her neck, thinking. "Okay, I'll tell you, but you have to try and listen. It's going to sound crazy, but I promise it's true."

Wendy gave her a slightly dubious look, but said reassuringly, "Dude, I'd believe you no matter what."

-DaLD-

Wendy sat on her bed as Evelyn finished her story of what led to her current situation; the wardrobe, the snowy forest, Mr. Hummus, everything.

"So, you're saying that there's a wardrobe on a secret path near my house that brings you to another forest that's _snowing_ in the middle of summer?" Wendy deadpanned skeptically, staring at Evelyn with a mix of doubt and amusement.

Evelyn sighed, awkwardly rubbing her arm. "Look, I know it sounds crazy, but I _promise_ that it's the truth." she rubbed her forehead in frustration before looking back up at the redhead. "Trust me, it's there. I'll show you, if you want…"

Evelyn was beginning to feel more and more nervous the longer her friend stared blankly at her, though she made an effort not to show it. Wendy was her first real friend since… ever, and she didn't want to toss that aside because of her friend not believing in some stupid land called Granity. She didn't want to go back to being alone, or at least without a human friend…

"Okay." Wendy said after a few moments of silence.

Evelyn stared at her in shock. "What?"

"I'll go see this 'magical land in a wardrobe.' I trust you." she shrugged.

Evelyn felt a lump in her throat grow, though she swallowed it down with difficulty as she blinked her eyes to avoid them becoming watery. "...Can I hug you?"

Wendy smiled sincerely. "C'mere, Lynnie."

The redhead opened her arms and Evelyn quickly squeezed her into a hug, feeling grateful and giddy as Wendy returned the amicable embrace. She _trusted_ her… Wendy couldn't know what that meant to her.

Evelyn released her and let out a small laugh. "I haven't been on the receiving end of a comfort hug in a while." Evelyn smiled ruefully. "Normally I'm the one who gives the hugs."

"Don't worry; I won't take that title from you." Wendy nudged her friends' shoulder teasingly. "Okay, we should head out soon if you're going to show me this 'wardrobe'!"

Evelyn nodded and got up, offering her hand to Wendy who took without a second thought.

Now that Evelyn knew that it was more than just her at stake, she asked, "Do you have any string?"

"What?" Wendy asked dubiously.

"To guide us back." Evelyn explained. "We'll probably need a lot of it."

"Well, I know we have a bunch of black string from my grandmother. She was into sewing." Wendy led Evelyn back down to the main floor and pointed towards the basement door. "I'll be right back."

The brunette nodded in agreement and watched as her younger friend snuck down into her basement with a lingering worry. Should she be bringing Wendy? If things went south and she got into a dangerous situation, she didn't want to drag Wendy into it too…

' _ **Hey, Redhead wants to come,**_ ' Bill reasoned, ' _ **you're not making her join you on your stupid 'hero's quest'.**_ '

'Wait, you _want_ Wendy to come?' Evelyn asked in confusion. Bill had been trying to convince her to not go at all, and now he was convincing her to let her friend tag along?

' _ **I'd rather you go with someone than alone,**_ ' he explained, ' _ **that way if you're hunted down, there's another flesh bag to kill instead of you.**_ '

'You just want her there so that I can throw her to the wolves if it gets messy?' Evelyn repeated, annoyance flaring.

' _ **Exactly.**_ ' Bill replied, sounding pleased that she'd understood.

Evelyn laughed mentally. 'Well, you've got another thing coming. If things become dangerous, my priority will be getting Wendy out of there.'

Before Bill could begin to rant about the ridiculousness of her plan, Evelyn focused on Wendy as she came back with a large bundle of thin black string.

"I got it." she whispered, tossing the string to Evelyn, who placed it in her bag after giving it an incredulous glance.

"This thing's _huge_!" Evelyn observed in a hushed tone. "How did your grandmother get so much string?!"

Wendy shrugged. "She used to order special deliveries from some company. I guess she hated the idea of running out of string in the middle of a stitch."

Evelyn shook her head as she marveled how crazy elderly people could be (her uncle included), and the two headed out into the twilight.

It wasn't too long of a walk, since they'd opted out of taking the truck due to the sound, and Evelyn only really began to doubt herself once they entered the woods the way they had earlier that day. What if she was wrong? She'd fallen before she'd found the wardrobe, so there was always the possibility that she had imagined the entire thing.

' _ **No, you were definitely not sleeping, Little Bird.**_ ' Bill assured, still sounding grumpy from her decision to go on her adventure.

'Says the voice I hear in my head.' she mentally scoffed, bringing up her old argument. 'How do I know any of this is real? You could be a figment of my imagination.'

' _ **You don't.**_ ' Bill replied. ' _ **But think about this, Little Bird… if I'm not real, then how did I save you from the ghosts back in the convenience store?**_ '

Evelyn mulled that over. 'True…' she thought. It was solid logic.

If Bill wasn't real, then how could she have not been taken by the ghosts just like the other teens had been, and if the wardrobe wasn't real, how could she still remember the feeling of Mr. Hummus hugging her leg? She wasn't sure she had enough imagination to think something like Mr. Hummus up…

Feeling more assured, she gave Bill a quick thank you and focused on the forest path. It was pitch black with only the pale moonlight that trickled through the trees to guide them, and there had been a few near-trips on the part of both girls.

Finally, Evelyn noticed a familiar bush and led Wendy over. "Its past here." she said quietly. There was no need for whispering, but the hushed silence of the forest made her lower her voice, if only out of respect.

"Oh, so that's where you'd been hiding." Wendy exclaimed quickly. "Man, I thought you'd disappeared on me or run off or something."

"Why would I have done that?" Evelyn wondered, guiding Wendy along the bush-laden path.

The redhead shrugged. "As a prank? Or I thought maybe you'd gotten lost in the woods and I'd have to tell your family it was because of a kid's game." she shuddered. "Somehow I don't think Stan would be too happy about that."

"No." Evelyn agreed. She could see her uncle going ballistic while the twins cried and vowed to explore the woods to find her, most likely running into a monster along the way. "I'd just fallen down, so I wasn't _too_ lost."

The brunette stopped by the ledge, holding Wendy back slightly. "I fell down here." she gestured. "But I saw a bit of a slope we can climb down."

The two found the slope that Evelyn had mentioned and slid down, landing in the tall grass.

"Whoa, you fell down that?" Wendy stared at the ledge her friend had pointed out before. "Are you normally the falling type?"

Evelyn snorted. "You have no idea. Try falling out of an abandoned building's window off of a cliff."

"What?" Wendy asked, confusion and alarm on her face.

"Nothing. Don't worry about it," Evelyn brushed off, and her friend hesitantly went along with it, seeing that the brunette's focus was already on something else.

"This," Evelyn gestured grandiosely at the field behind her, "is the wardrobe."

Wendy's jaw dropped as she stared at the wardrobe standing innocently in the field. The moonlight gave the clearing a strangely ethereal atmosphere and made the wardrobe look much more… magical than it did during the day.

"Holy crap… There's seriously a wardrobe in the middle of the woods!" Wendy's expression morphed into one of astonishment. "I can't believe I never noticed this!"

Evelyn shrugged. "I didn't notice it until I fell down a ditch and saw a breeze move the fabric covering it."

"So if I open it, I'll find-" she began uncertainly.

Evelyn nodded.

"Awesome." Wendy murmured.

The redhead ran to the wardrobe, but before she could open it her friend grabbed her wrist. "Are you sure you want to come with me? It's most likely going to be dangerous." she said seriously, trying to convey the gravity of the situation.

Wendy merely smirked. "Would I be going if it wasn't?"

Evelyn couldn't help but laugh at the truth of that statement and let go, letting her friend open the door and climb inside, following a few seconds after. Though she still had reservations on her friend joining her, a part of her was relieved she had someone like Wendy to do this with; not only was she capable, but she was also trustworthy, and that meant the world to Evelyn. Hopefully she wasn't making a huge mistake…

The land of Granity was just as she remembered it; cold, snowy, and with a distinct feeling like it shouldn't exist. Evelyn supposed that that's the feeling anyone would get when they'd walk into a land inside a wardrobe.

She let Wendy look around a bit, watching in amusement as the younger girl held snow and knocked on a tree. Wendy's expression changed to one of mild confusion for a moment when the knocking made an odd sound.

"What is it?" Evelyn asked, mildly concerned by her friend's expression.

Wendy brushed it off. "Nothing. I guess trees in weird wardrobe dimensions are different than the ones at home."

Evelyn nodded; that made sense. She didn't actually know how this world worked after all, so how could she possibly know tree density?

Before they continued, bundled up in long pants and sweaters, Evelyn remembered the string. "We should tie this to the coat rack, and just pull it along as we go." she suggested, taking the string out.

"Why?" Wendy asked, perplexed.

The brunette shrugged. "Just in case. We can follow it back if we get lost or need something." 'And so the annoying voice in my head doesn't pester me,' she silently added.

' _ **Hey, it's not pestering when I'm making sure you don't get yourself killed by being stupid.**_ ' Bill rebuked.

Evelyn rolled her eyes. 'It's still considered pestering. Jeez,' she paused, 'is this how the twins feel when I nag them to do something?'

Before she could reflect more on that thought, she realized she had already tied the string to the rack and Wendy was calling for her attention.

"C'mon, let's check out this furry guy you were telling me about!" the redhead exclaimed, waving her friend forward.

Evelyn led Wendy towards the light from the diner sign, keeping an eye out for the creature she'd first run into.

Once they reached the clearing, Wendy stared at the source of light in surprise. "Whoa, that kinda looks like Lazy Susan's Diner's sign, but like older."

"Huh." Evelyn stared at the sign a bit more carefully. "I never noticed that."

Deciding it was just a coincidence, Evelyn began to call, "Mr. Hummus! I'm back!"

Only moments after her call, a small furry ball came careening out of the woods, a beaming smile on his hairy face. "The Evelyn has returned! It is a miracle!" he cooed, before noticing the redhead with her. "...with a friend… that was also prophesied!" the creature squeaked.

"It was?" Evelyn wondered. Were prophecies really that spot on? Harry Potter's prophecy hadn't been, so she just assumed that every one, both fictional and 'real' were similar.

"Oh yes!" Mr. Hummus shook his head frantically as his eyes gleamed with something indecipherable. For a moment, it made Evelyn feel uneasy, but the look faded too quickly for her to tell. "It is said that a beautiful stranger would come and save the day with her fair sidekick, her hair as red as the fire in her heart."

Wendy snorted. "Man, you are a poetic little fluff ball, aren't you?" Though she'd stared at the creature when he first arrived with confusion and surprise, she decided to roll it with it and rebounded remarkably well.

She offered a hand to the smaller creature with an easy smile. "I'm Wendy."

The tiny creature grasped her hand with his two smaller ones and shook her hand as though he was trying to pull her arm out of its socket. "A pleasure to meet the Wendy, it is! I am the humble Mr. Hummus!"

The two girls laughed as Wendy carefully extracted her hand. Evelyn, getting back to the reason they'd come, asked, "So, what did you want to tell me before about the King?"

"Shhh!" Mr. Hummus frantically shushed her, staring around him in paranoia. "It is not safe to speak of him in the open. We must return to my den, it is safe there!"

Alarm bells went off in the two girls, always having been taught about 'stranger danger' (and Bill's mutterings certainly weren't helping), but once Evelyn exchanged a look with Wendy her mind was set. Mr. Hummus was tiny, and probably didn't stand a chance between the two of them, so they decided to take the risk.

' _ **You're making a mistake, Little Bird.**_ ' Bill warned in an aggravated tone, ' _ **you have no idea what you're getting into!**_ '

'Do you?' Evelyn countered.

Bill went quiet for a second. ' _ **Look, Little Bird, I know what manipulation looks like, and this is definitely manipulation.**_ '

Evelyn considered his words as she and Wendy followed Mr. Hummus through a path in the woods. '...Do you really think that?'

Bill sighed. ' _ **Not everyone is a warm, sweet flesh bag with a heart of gold. I don't want you to fall into an obvious trap just because you were too naive to know better.**_ '

The brunette could honestly see where he was coming from, having had the experience to know that people weren't always kind. But she felt prepared; she was on guard, she'd known she was entering something potentially dangerous, and she was confident enough in her and Wendy's ability to handle themselves that she decided not to turn back.

'I'm going to go through with this anyway,' she told Bill resolutely, 'I'm not going in completely blind; I'm ready to face whatever I have to, and I know that there could be consequences, and I'll deal with them if I have to.'

There was a moment of silence, before Bill chuckled, sounding somewhat resigned. ' _ **You're really something, Little Bird.**_ '

Evelyn focused back on reality and turned to nudge Wendy gently; sending her an encouraging look once the redhead glanced her way. Her friend returned the gesture, and Evelyn couldn't help but feel a bit invigorated; with her friend at her side, she was certain she could do anything.

Mr. Hummus led them through the woods, and already the brunette could feel herself shivering. Her shoes were freezing from the snow, and though her clothes kept her warm, she still felt a chill. She was almost positive her nose was redder than her eyes, and was desperately hoping they'd arrive at Mr. Hummus' home soon. She loved winter, but she loved being prepared for the cold as well.

Luckily for her, they reached a clearing and Mr. Hummus squeaked out, "This is our destination!"

Evelyn looked in the direction he was pointing, and saw a small home materialize in a corner. It was an oval-shaped home, with circular windows and a rounded door. The house was made with some sort of dark wood and it looked quaint, if a bit small.

Evelyn felt a bit strange that she hadn't immediately noticed it, but decided that she'd probably been too focused on her shivering to notice a home at the edge of a clearing.

"I used to have a wonderful garden that covered the entire clearing. But, well…" Mr. Hummus looked morosely at the snow. Evelyn now noticed some dead plants peeking out from the snow that she was sure she hadn't seen before, but the creature continued before she could comment. "'Twas my pride and joy. I'd look after it every day."

Mr. Hummus looked so pitiful with his lip quivering and his brown eyes glimmering with tears that both teens felt their hearts go out to the hairy creature.

"Aw, it's okay." Wendy reached down and patted the creature's shoulder somewhat awkwardly, looking as though she was having trouble processing the situation.

Mr. Hummus sniffled and tugged Evelyn's leg, letting out a few pitiful sobs as the brunette pet his hairy head.

It took the tiny creature a few moments to gather himself and detach from Evelyn's leg. "S-sorry. That was uncivilized of me."

"It's fine." Evelyn promised, gesturing towards the creature's home. "After you?"

Mr. Hummus led them to his home, where he pulled an old fashioned skeleton key out from under a snow covered rock. Unlocking his rounded door, he held the door open for the two taller girls.

Evelyn had to stoop to get in, but found that the ceiling was comfortably high, allowing her to straighten herself.

The teen gazed at the home; on her right was an organic entrance to what looked like a medieval kitchen, full of strange and familiar foods hanging from racks, and the hallway was littered with frames. Trying to wrap her head around the concept that a camera could be invented yet kitchen technology could not, Evelyn glanced at the corner of her eye where Wendy was standing.

For a moment, it looked as if nothing was there behind the redhead at all, just blackness and strange green lines, but when she blinked and focused, Wendy was standing in the doorway of the living room, her back to the room that had been missing for a moment.

"Hey, Lynnie, check this out!" her friend exclaimed, pointing at a picture frame beside a mirror. "Mr. Hummus used to wear pink!"

Mr. Hummus blushed; looking mortified, the creature tried to brush it off with a flustered explanation as Evelyn obligingly approached the picture. It was of Mr. Hummus in a pink outfit, complete with frills and bows laced into his fur and placed on his horns.

"N-now, why don't we all gather in my living quarters and I'll prepare you both a spot of tea?"

The girls nodded and sat on two of the three loveseats placed around a wooden table near the crackling fire. His living room was a bit lower on the ground than the rest of the house, and the floor was made of stone, so Evelyn expected the ground to be cool, but to her surprise when she reached down to check the floor, it felt warm.

'Must be the fire, or some warming device.' Evelyn thought, unsure.

' _ **Something's wrong, Little Bird.**_ ' Bill said, his words unsettling the already on-guard teen.

Mr. Hummus reappeared shortly with two steaming cups of tea, and his sudden appearance made Evelyn jump.

"Here's a nice, warm cup of Rhuba-root tea." He explained cheerfully, placing the two ceramic mugs on the wooden table. "It was some of the last of my stock, but if all goes well, my garden will be flourishing once more by the end of the month!"

The two teens picked up their cups, staring at the ruby-red, dark liquid in wonder, and Evelyn sniffed the steam that rose from the cup. It smelt tangy, as though a pinch of sugar had been mixed with strawberries and a wide array of citrus.

At Mr. Hummus' expectant stare, they both blew on the liquid to cool it and took a large gulp.

"Hey, it's not bad!" Wendy stated, causing Mr. Hummus to beam as Evelyn merely nodded, staring at the liquid with a furrowed brow.

"I'll fetch myself a cup." Mr. Hummus squeaked, and Evelyn only looked up when she heard the clip-clop of his feet reach the hallway.

The liquid tasted fine, quite delicious really, but… something told her that there was something wrong. Taking another experimental sip, she tasted a sort of fizziness that could have just been a part of the Rhuba-root, but her mind had alarm bells ringing and she felt compelled to stop drinking the liquid.

Evelyn glanced uneasily at Wendy, who had just taken another few sips, and whispered, "Hey, Wendy… I don't think you should drink that."

Wendy looked at her friend, perplexed. "Why not?"

"It's just…" Evelyn sent an uneasy glance in the direction of the hallway. "We, um, don't know where this 'Rhuba-root' came from, or if it's even safe for humans to ingest. I think we should play it safe." She took a breath and gave Wendy a meaningful look. "I'm getting a bad feeling about it."

Wendy put down her mug, her usually laid back expression now slightly serious. "Sure, Lynnie." Sparing a look towards the kitchen, where they could hear a rustling sound, she added, "Maybe we should dump it in the fire… just in case."

Evelyn nodded and the two quickly tossed the liquid in the mugs into the crackling fire. It spluttered, but returned to its previous shape a moment later.

They'd just managed to straighten themselves, the mugs in hand, when Mr. Hummus return with his own mug.

"Oh, you've finished already?" he asked delightedly.

"Um… yeah, it was delicious." Evelyn smiled awkwardly, feeling guilty at the happy gleam in the creature's eyes. Maybe there truly hadn't been anything wrong with the tea and she had just been overreacting…

Nevertheless, she stayed quiet as Mr. Hummus had a noisy slurp of his own tea. Once he'd taken a sip, she asked, "So who's the King, and why is he so scary?"

Mr. Hummus coughed on his tea, and made a bleating noise before clearing his throat. "Ah, yes, that. You see…" he looked away for a moment, at a loss, before continuing, "This land was once a beautiful and prosperous one, with many a forest folk like me wandering through the grassy meadows. We were all watched over by our great king, Cofe the Great Owl. But when he died, his younger brother, a humanoid named… Salamon took over. He was not nearly so kind as his brother, and preferred a… cooler climate.

"He cast a curse, plunging Granity into an eternal land of winter, and locked up any that opposed him. He took away my neighbours because of whispers, and my friends are gone because of a jest. He rules with an iron fist and an army of ice, and he will destroy this land if he isn't stopped." he looked at them now. "That is when whispers of a prophecy spread; a young traveler with eyes the colour of spilt blood and of beauty beyond compare, accompanied by the fiery maiden most fair, would rise up against the tyrant and return peace and warmth to our kingdom."

For a moment, the three sat in silence, before Wendy said, "Whoa, that is so spot on. I mean, Evie's got mad looks and skills, and I'm a fine specimen myself." Wendy jokingly struck a pose for her friend, causing the brunette to snort. "I mean, my hair is definitely fire incarnate. So, my question is; what are we waiting for?"

Evelyn glanced at her friend, mildly concerned. Shouldn't they get more information before blindly rushing into danger?

But Mr. Hummus was delighted. "Oh, this is excellent! You are truly the two foretold!" he scurried out of his seat. "I will gather what meager weapons I have straight away!"

With that, he scampered off.

"What are you doing?" Evelyn hissed; panic beginning to bubble inside of her.

"Look, I'm clearly not the only one here that thinks something fishy is going on," Wendy whispered back, "I think it's better to just run into this issue head on than be fed any of this bull. I mean come on; beauty beyond compare? Fair maiden?" she shook her head. "He's trying to butter us up. I say we go out there and show this 'King' or whatever what he's really messing with."

Evelyn felt a surge of gratitude for having Wendy as a friend. "Sometimes you say things that make me realize you're an utter genius." She sent her friend a smile. "It's nice to know I'm not the only one feeling as though something's off."

"It's just a superpower us girls have." Wendy shrugged, returning her friend's smile.

Evelyn proffered her fist. "We're in this together?"

"Together." Wendy confirmed, bumping Evelyn's fist with her own.

Mr. Hummus returned a few moments later, his arms bundled down with an array of items.

Dropping them onto the table, the two girls realized that the weapons they'd been expecting were in fact a small assortment of gardening tools. There were a few shovels, a hand-fork, two trowels, and a rake that had the actual rake part broken off.

"Um…" the two girls exchanged glances, feeling a bit disheartened at the lack of actual weapons.

"I'm afraid this is all I have at my disposal. The King would never let us have more…" he looked down in disappointment before giving them a hopeful smile. "I hope this will be sufficient!"

"...Sure." Evelyn responded, grimacing. "These'll do."

The two teens picked up the shovels, knowing that if they put enough power in their swings it could do a lot of damage, and Evelyn took a small trowel while Wendy took a small gardening fork.

"This should be good." Wendy noted, turning to look at Evelyn as the brunette tried to place the trowel's handle into her back pocket.

"Excellent! We must leave immediately!" Mr. Hummus squeaked/exclaimed, buzzing with excitement as his eyes gleamed almost maniacally.

"Wait, why?" the two girls exchanged confused glances. It was a bit of a rush, they'd admit.

"The King must already have some of his men heading in our direction. We must leave this place and catch him unawares!" Mr. Hummus explained.

Despite feeling how _wrong_ the whole situation was, Evelyn nodded, accepting his excuse. "I guess we'll go then."

Mr. Hummus giggled gleefully and ran to the door, holding it open for the two teens. Evelyn marched forward warily, clutching the shovel tightly as she stepped back out into the snowy garden.

Evelyn and Wendy let Mr. Hummus go in front of them to guide them to the King's castle, and as they walked, Evelyn noticed that the surroundings looked similar. There was something about the trees…

It was only when she passed by a tree with a gnarled branch that she realized what was so familiar; some of the trees were identical! Same markings, same snow formations, and in the case of the tree she'd just passed, the same gnarl on the same branch.

She couldn't be entirely sure that they were repeating though; after all, most of them were covered in snow and she hadn't exactly been observing the trees while she'd been wandering through the forest before… she didn't want to brush it off, but she couldn't be sure it wasn't all in her head and caused by her paranoia either.

' _ **No, there's definitely something wrong, Little Bird.**_ ' Bill commented. For some reason, his voice was beginning to sound slightly fuzzy.

'Should I tell Wendy?' Evelyn asked in concern.

' _ **Just get ready to use that shovel to knock Short Stack into oblivion.**_ '

As they approached the castle, the turrets now clearly in view above the trees, Mr. Hummus began to give them confused and disgruntled looks. At one point he even stopped moving, only to stare at the two girls with an indecipherable expression.

"What's wrong?" Evelyn asked. She glanced over as Wendy, seeing that the redhead had noticed the suspicious behaviour as well and was gripping the shovel tightly in anticipation.

"N-nothing! I am merely concerned for your wellbeing. The King is merciless," he lamented, "and I can only hope you both fare well against his wrath."

"Uh, thanks." Wendy said, not buying his words.

They continued walking around a corner of trees and appeared in a clearing much like the one for Mr. Hummus' home, except this one held an enormous and elegant castle made of ice.

The spires and turrets glistened, and a faint glow emanated from the windows carved into the ice, giving the semblance of someone occupying the home.

Evelyn had barely taken two steps forward when she began to notice her vision blurring at the edges. Her limbs felt weighed down and a sudden panic sparked inside her.

She turned to Wendy, only to see the girl collapse onto the snow, completely unconscious.

Evelyn felt a scream tear its way up her throat, but her jaw suddenly stopped working. She collapsed as well, dropping her shovel in the process.

The brunette was just aware enough to see Mr. Hummus smug grin before her eyes dragged themselves to the castle as its doors opened.

As her vision began to fade, Evelyn could just make out the silhouettes of a few others leaving the castle before everything flickered; for a moment, the very ground was black with strange green lines, and the castle was replaced by the blurry image of what could only be described as a space ship.

Filled with dread as the creatures surrounded them, Evelyn succumbed to unconsciousness.

 **-DaLD-**

 **Hey guys! Mwahahaha! The cake was a lie! I've been so psyched to post this chapter, after seeing everyone's positive responses to the Narnia parody, and I couldn't wait to surprise you all with the truth! I vaguely hinted in the very last chapter about this possibility ( Evie only feeling the cold snow when she's in it, the dents in the sign and the button, etc.), but I really wanted it to seem like it had come out of no-where to catch you guys off-guard.**

 **So, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I'll be going away to India for two weeks tomorrow, so there won't be any updates while I'm away (I'll have no internet). I'm going for humanitarian work with some of my friends, and I'm super excited! I'll write while I'm there though, so when I get back it shouldn't take me too long to update.**

 **So, the general consensus from all of you is that Wendy should know, which I've planned on doing for a while, and I'm excited to write it! For those of you who didn't want her to know, I'm sorry, but I'll try to make it interesting for you.**

 **Alright, onto reviews!**

 **To Fantasy Fan 223: Thank you! I get annoyed by the whole 'Chosen One' plot as well, so I tried to parody it a bit in this arc. And thank you for the fan art! I love it so much!**

 **xxyangxx2006: I know, she definitely has a thing for falling! And thank you! There definitely will be some consequences to her telling Wendy and not her family, but only time will tell what those will be…**

 **Moon Ninja Luna: Thank you! It's nice to know people get excited for updates. As for the weekly updating…that depends. This summer I'm going to India, then going to my grandmother's to work for a few weeks, then going on a two week family trip, then my classes start, so I'm going to need to time-manage like crazy. I can't promise we'll be back to weekly updates, but they will definitely be more frequent (every two weeks?)!**

 **To JayFan67: I love Narnia too much to pass up the opportunity to parody it! I hope I did it well (even with the serious plot twist).**

 **Selenastarsparrow1230: Do you mean the formal language? I was trying to give it a more old-timey vibe while in Granity, since they're in a different world.**

 **To musicalocelot: Mr. Hummus was certainly adorable! I kind of modeled him after Mr. Tumnus from the actual book, which was my way of foreshadowing his betrayal. In both the movie and the book, Mr. Tumnus lures Lucy to his home and plans on catching her for the Witch, but he ends up regretting his actions and saves her. I don't think it'll be the same with Mr. Hummus though…**

 **DomesticatedPiggy: I love your profile pic! Also, I hope you enjoyed what I did with the parody!**

 **redvintage888: I completely see your point! Wendy knowing won't make it too AU just yet, since she won't tell anyone and she has no idea who Bill is (she never read the journal, so she doesn't know the warnings about him). If anything, it's so that Evie has someone to confide in (plus Evie will begin to speak aloud to Bill when Wendy's around, so that'll be fun** **). As for my Harry Potter fic, it's getting updated today! Your song actually was hilarious; I'd been singing 'Sixteen Going On Seventeen' in the car with my mom the same day I saw this!**

 **Snowsgirl: Wendy will definitely be surprised, that's for sure!**

 **Anotheristo: Your comment made me laugh! It is pretty funny to think that while Evie was having an adventure, Wendy was freaking out about her disappearing friend. I won't tell you too much about what will happen when Evie tells Wendy, but I guarantee it will be weird/interesting!**

 **To Sunshine-Girl: Sleep is very important! I'd tell you not to read this so late, but I appreciate it too much. And I hope this twist within the parody caught you by surprise!**

 **Dragongirl1806: Don't worry, I'm not mad!** **I find your comments very interesting and fun to read. Even if I might not put your character in exactly like you wrote her, I'll certainly pay homage to her in a future chapter. And I like the little drabble about Calla and Draco! I'm excited to start writing scenes of them like that. Cake is definitely a cute name!**

 **Haruka Akatsuki: Thank you so much! Your review made me feel amazing. I hope you continue to review and give me your feedback, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter.**

 **Alex Tolleson: I can confirm that there will be no Wendy/Dipper, so I'm sorry to anyone who might have wanted that. As for Dipper/Pacifica… Also, once I do another interview, I'll include your messages!**

 **AshuriIncarnate: I will continue the ciphers; I've just decided to put them at the end of each 'episode', that way I can allude to what the entirely new arc might bring. And thank you for solving them! It's hard to write a caring Bill, because his personality is so zany and violent. I want there to be development between the two, so sometimes I have to make him a bit more emotional than he was in the show, but I do try to keep his personality as canon as possible!**

 **To Guest: No judgement here!**

 **KitaCasey: Thank you so much! I enjoy writing this story, and your review helps me feel even better about it.**

 **SolangeloUniverse: Evie's nickname is pronounced with a soft E, but if you want you can pronounce it as 'Eevee'. I made it soft because it's supposed to derive from her name, which has soft Es in it. (Like Ev-ee). And I think you're the first person to ask, so don't worry! And thanks!**

 **So I hope you guys like Wendy's new nickname for Evie! I thought it might be fun to have a nickname for her created by Wendy alone. This chapter was definitely different for me, as this is a big twist that I'm trying to pull off. The next chapter will explain much more about the truth of 'Granity', so stay tuned!**

 **Special thanks to FantasyFan223, who made fan art for this story as well! I love it!**

 **Anywho, I hope you all have a wonderful day! Please favourite, follow and/or review, and please ignore any grammatical errors I may not have noticed!**

 **Have an amazing summer!-Aria**

 **I don't own Gravity Falls**


	31. Chapter XXX: TPTCATW (part 3)

Evelyn came to a little while later in a metal cell, clutching her head as she tried to get her bearings. "Where… am I?"

' _ **I told you not to trust him.**_ ' Bill said calmly.

Surprised by his nonchalance, the brunette asked, 'You're not… mad?'

' _ **Oh no, I'm furious!**_ ' he replied pleasantly. ' _ **But I've realized that you**_ _ **apparently**_ _ **ignore all my advice when I actually make an effort, so I've decided to do this instead.**_ ' She could hear his anger simmering under the surface. ' _ **Hey, if you**_ _ **want**_ _ **to be stupid and get yourself killed, who am I to stop you?**_ '

Evelyn sighed. It seemed as if damage control was necessary. She _was_ the one in the wrong this time, after all.

'Look, I'm sorry for not listening to you. I felt that something was off, but I continued anyway. It was stupid-'

' _ **Oh really, Little Bird?**_ ' Bill mocked. ' _ **I couldn't tell!**_ '

' _But_ ,' she continued, 'you need to respect my choices, regardless of how stupid they can be. I'm still alive, so I can still get out of this.'

Feeling someone stir beside her, she glanced back into the cell to see a figure with red hair stirring in the opposite corner and felt her heart fill with lead. " _Wendy_?"

"Mmm…five more minutes." Her friend mumbled, not moving from her spot in the corner.

Evelyn crawled forward, half-expecting the red head to begin snoring as she reached forward gently shaking her shoulder. "Wendy, you need to get up."

Wendy peeked through her waves of hair to see her friend's concerned face, and became slightly more aware. "Hey, Lynnie." She yawned, curling up slightly to be comfortable. "You would not believe the dream I had last night. There was this crazy magic wardrobe and," she broke her ramble with a yawn, "you were in it…"

"Yeah, that wasn't exactly a dream." Evelyn gestured around them, and helped her friend up, propping her against one of the metal walls.

"What-" the redhead glanced around. Understanding, panic, and anger flooded her as she realized they weren't in her room, and she cried, "That little twerp drugged us!"

Evelyn sighed, feeling foolish. She seemed to be doing that a lot since she woke up. "I knew there was something off about his tea."

"But what do they want with us?" Wendy wondered.

Before Evelyn could begin to theorize, they heard heavy footsteps clanging towards them.

"Play dead." Evelyn whispered, dropping to the floor and closing her eyes. Whoever had them obviously wanted them unconscious for the trip, and she hoped that if they still thought the two were asleep, there wouldn't be any security measures outside of being stuck in a cell.

A few moments later, she heard the 'whoosh' of a door being opened, before two people stopped in front of the cage. One of them spoke in a deep, gravelly voice. "What'd 'ya think? They'll ge' a pretty knarf on th' market, righ'?"

The other one answered in unintelligible squeals, but whatever he said caused his companion to laugh.

"We def'nit'ly 'aven't got no humans from the entrance in a bi'." He chortled. "They'll sell like dras in a Dream festival!"

Evelyn tried not to tense as the loud one nudged her with his large foot through the bars. "Was a good idea from M' to let the firs' one go; the red one will sell for mor'!"

Once again, his comment was met with unintelligible squeals. The first one began to stomp away, seemingly satisfied with their vulnerable state. "Jus' half an hour to go, then we'll be out'a this station an' back on our way to money!"

The two waited for another minute, double-checking that no one else would come in, before they both sat up and shared stricken looks.

"Those creeps are gonna sell us on some kind of market?" Wendy whispered angrily, her expression torn between fury and horror as the implications of that settled in.

Evelyn was grim. "Seems like it." Putting a shaky hand to her forehead, she mumbled, "It's almost a miracle we didn't finish those drinks, otherwise we'd probably be waking up in a market to be sold for labour, or…"

She didn't know exactly what they could want from them, but that didn't stop Evelyn's mind from racing from one horrible thought to the next. It made it so hard to focus, with her panic rising and her breaths becoming shorter…

' _ **Breathe, Little Bird,**_ ' Bill ordered, ' _ **think this through. I know you have a brain in here!**_ '

Evelyn felt a giggle of hysteria welling up, but she did as he said, thinking back to what one of her captors had said. "He said the ship is leaving in thirty minutes…"

"…which gives us thirty minutes to kick butt and escape!" Wendy caught on to her friend's train of thought, her eyes glimmering with hope.

The two began searching for ways to escape their cell, their new determination pushing them forward. The cell itself wasn't very large, walk-in closet sized at best, with steel walls marked with the occasional sign or number. Evelyn assumed it was the mark of whoever made it, but she couldn't be sure.

The cell door was fairly old-fashioned, as far as alien technology went; a simple barred door, locked from the other side, with spaces wide enough to give a decent view of the room beyond.

The room past the bars was just as gray, with dim lighting and a small steel table. There were some papers on the table, along with a small bag that rested precariously on its steel edge.

' _ **Use a shoe to knock that thing down, Little Bird,**_ ' Bill advised, ' _ **the keys could be in there.**_ '

'Way ahead of you.' Evelyn replied, slipping off her shoe and chucking it expertly through the bars at the legs of the table, putting her pinecone-tossing lessons to the test.

Luckily, the shoe hit it well enough that the bag clattered to the floor, only feet away for the barred door.

"Can you reach that?" Evelyn asked Wendy quietly. Out of the two, Wendy had a longer arm span, even if by only an inch or two. Every inch counted, however, when it came to getting them out.

As Wendy awkwardly maneuvered her arms through the gaps in the bars, she muttered angrily, "If it wasn't for that _stupid_ , _manipulative_ hair ball we wouldn't be here." She growled slightly, swallowing what Evelyn could only imagine to be a frustrated scream. "I wish I'd kicked him into the cosmos when I had the chance. If I see the runt, he's going to be entirely new shades of blue, that's for sure."

Evelyn stared sadly at her friend, and let out a pained breath. "Wendy… I'm really sorry I got you stuck in this situation. I should have followed my gut and gone alone; because I was selfish, you might be sold off to the highest bidder in some crazy alien market…"

"Hey," Wendy tried to smile, but it became a grimace as she stretched her arm farther out, "where you go, I go, Lynnie. I would have snuck out and followed you even if I wasn't invited."

"Besides," she added, her face scrunching up for a moment, "If I wasn't here, how would you have gotten _this_?"

With a beaming, victorious smile, she pulled her arm back through the bars, jingling the bag in front of her. They both could hear the faint clang of keys hitting each other within it, the sound as beautiful as an entire orchestra to the two.

Evelyn smile was so wide it hurt her cheeks. "I could kiss you right now!"

' _ **I'd rather you didn't Little Bird.**_ ' Bill said sardonically. His words only made Evelyn's smile widen.

With a laugh and a joking wink, the redhead replied, "Maybe some other time, Lynnie. Let's get out of here and kick some kidnapping butt!"

Evelyn took the keys out of the bag and put her arm through the bars as she began to test the keys in the lock. It took a few tries, but once she heard the click of the locking mechanisms releasing, Evelyn sighed in relief and pushed the door open.

One down, who knew how many more to go.

The two quickly left their cell and properly observed the room beyond. Steel gray walls, with only the occasional metal shelf to decorate it, were the predominant feature in the room. Other than the table and the cell, there was a door in an alcove to the left. The way out.

To the girl's dismay, the door didn't have a handle, only a keypad on the side, strange symbols making up each button.

' _ **Little Bird, I know how you can unlock this door,**_ ' Bill began.

'How?!' Evelyn asked silently. She was beginning to freak out, if only because she _really_ didn't want to be stuck on the ship with Wendy once it was ready for take-off.

' _ **Put your fingers on the control pad and repeat after me,**_ ' he instructed, and, after a moment of hesitation, Evelyn did. ' _ **Ot rehpiC I dnel ym sesnes, nepo pu sesht sesnefed.**_ '

'Ot rehpiC I dnel ym sesnes nepo pu eseht sesnefed.' Evelyn repeated obligingly.

Her eyes fluttered shut as a strange feeling jolted through her arm, entering he keypad.

' _ **I though that's what it was,**_ ' Bill murmured, seemingly to himself. ' _ **It's a basic system; once you know the main symbols, you can hack into any of them.**_ '

'And you know this, how?' Evelyn asked. For once, she was incredibly glad for his seeming ability to know everything.

' _ **I've lived longer than your entire universe,**_ ' Bill replied, ' _ **and I've been infiltrating ships longer than your sun has been a baby spark keeping your planet warm.**_ _ **This**_ _ **is one of the most simple-minded security systems an idiot can get!**_ '

'Well, thanks Bill.' Evelyn sighed as she typed in a code he explained was the one that would work, and smiled slightly as the door opened only a second later.

"How did you do that?!"

Wendy's astonished tone snapped Evelyn back into reality, and caused her blood to freeze as her body tensed. It wasn't just her and Bill; her only normal friend was here, and she'd just seen Evelyn put her hand on the pad then decipher the code seemingly out of nowhere.

"Uh, I-" her red eyes flickered in every direction as she tried to find a way to avoid the question. "We have to go!" she finished, grabbing the redhead's wrist before urgently pulling the girl forward. The door closed behind them.

"But seriously Lynnie, what was-" Wendy whispered as loudly as she ran, only to be stopped as Evelyn pulled them both sharply into an alcove just as some steps could be heard heading in their direction, the heads up all thanks to Bill.

' _ **Good save, Little Bird.**_ ' Bill remarked as Evelyn held her breath, watching a large creature with slimy skin and blotches of purple fur passed by, whistling some strange tune as he checked an odd tablet, tapping occasionally.

They waited until he was out of sight down another hallway before running the direction he came from, hoping to find a way to either the main controls or an exit.

The two only managed to head a short distance away before they ran into a large, sleek set of steel doors. The symbols on the wall seemed to be shorter and fewer, which the brunette chose to take as a good sign. What if they counted as numbers? If they were counting down, didn't that mean they were getting closer to the center or the beginning?

Evelyn approached the pad by the door, leaning in to observe it.

'it's different.' She noted.

' _ **This is a reassembled piece of junk, isn't it?**_ ' Bill asked rhetorically, exasperation tinging his tone. It changed to smug however, as he noted something. ' _ **Luckily for you and Redhead, I know this security system. I was the one who helped that sad-sack of slimy flesh create it in the first place.**_ '

'That's great!' Evelyn could barely contain her grin. They could maybe get out of this!

' _ **So was his favour,**_ ' Bill added, once he'd given her a code to hack the pad, ' _ **I needed a large amount of radioactive crystals from his government, and I didn't want**_ _ **my**_ _ **fingerprints all over it.**_ '

'So he took the fall?" Evelyn wondered as the doors opened, allowing her and Wendy to creep forward.

' _ **He's been in prison for 200 years,**_ ' Bill announced proudly, ' _ **and I'm pretty sure he has another 300 to live out!**_ '

Evelyn felt uneasy. 'What did you even need those crystals for, anyway?'

' _ **That's a story for another day, Little Bird. Preferably a day where you're**_ _ **not**_ _ **about to be kidnapped by aliens.**_ '

She was silent for a moment, keeping her eyes focused on the empty hall ahead of her. 'Is that what you're going to make me do? Steal things and go to jail?'

' _ **Well, you don't have any connections with your government, do you, Little Bird?**_ ' Bill joked, but sobered when he felt her genuine worry. ' _ **When I cash in your favour, it won't end with you in jail.**_ '

'Promise?' she asked, but before he could formulate something to say, a door on the side opened and two thin, stick-like creatures with elongated necks and tiny eyes walked directly into the path of the two presently-frozen girls.

For a moment, both alien and human stared at the other with wide eyes, before the alien emitted a cry and turned as though to go back to where they'd been.

"Go!" Wendy cried, catapulting herself towards the one who had it's back turned.

Evelyn quickly followed suit and leapt for the one on the left, pulling back her arm to land a solid punch across what she guessed was its jaw. The creature fell remarkably quickly, and as she stopped in front of him, she noted how frail it was.

The creature made a strange sound in the back of it's throat before trying to lift itself up.

Evelyn only gave it a moment to get its bearings before she grabbed it by it's lightly armoured vest and slammed it into the wall once, twice, as she tried to knock it out. Finally, the creature's eyes flickered shut and it went limp in her grip.

The brunette quickly dropped the creature, staring at the lumps caused by her beating.

"Sorry." She whispered, the feeling of guilt slithering over her. It _had_ been basically helpless in that fight; she hadn't even given it time to defend itself.

She turned back in time to see Wendy land a well-placed kick into the other creature's stomach, forcing it back and causing it to smack its head on the steel wall. A moment later, the creature slid down the wall, unconscious.

Wendy reached down and pointed out a small stick with strange glowing markings attached to a belt loop, along with what looked like a glowing key card.

"Hey, check it out!" she exclaimed in a hushed tone. "Do you think this'll help us get out?"

Evelyn shrugged. "It can't hurt to take it with us."

She kneeled to check her own creature for anything similar, and withdrew with what looked like the same stick and key card.

"What is this…?" the brunette wondered, watching as the markings glowed turquoise.

' _ **That's easy,**_ ' Bill replied nonchalantly, ' _ **it's a R7X4 Stentin, one of the cheapest security devices on the market. It was so bad in comparison to the competition that the creator fled to an abandoned planet to wallow in his shame for the rest of his natural life!**_ '

'That's horrible! That poor guy…' Evelyn couldn't help but feel her heart twinge for him; to be so ashamed because your work wasn't considered good enough that you'd isolate yourself on another _planet_ as punishment? It was too extreme a penalty for something you couldn't even predict happening; how could he have known his system would be a flop on the market?

' _ **Stop with your bleeding heart, Little Bird,**_ ' he replied, sounding unaffected, ' _ **it was a thing his species does whenever they feel ashamed of something.**_ '

'How does his species still exist then?' Evelyn wondered, but quickly got back on track. 'Never mind, I guess that means that these sticks are useless then?'

' _ **Maybe to me, but not to you. By actual standards, it's useless, but compared to most human technology, it's amazing! You and Redhead could probably get by using them. If the crew is desperate enough already to resort to using this, they can't be that threatening.**_ '

'Okay…how do I use it? It's tiny,' the red-eyed teen noted, twirling it around as she observed it. It wasn't longer than her pointer finger, and it seemed to be only two inches thick; it was hardly the most threatening thing she could be using…

' _ **You see the bthef mark on the side of the Stentin?**_ ' Bill began.

'Um… what's a bthef?'

Bill sighed in exasperation. ' _ **The squiggly line on the side, by your thumb. Press down on that, then turn the little part that comes out counter clockwise.**_ '

Just as Evelyn went to try it, Bill chimed in, ' _ **You might want to hold it away from your body unless you like internal bleeding, Little Bird. And make sure it's not pointed at your face.**_ '

Following his instructions, Evelyn heard a click and a strange whirring sound before two long poles, glowing with the same symbols, came shooting out of either end. One side boasted an oddly shaped, curved blade that hummed with energy and looked decidedly lethal.

Both teens gasped. 'This isn't just defense, Bill; this'll impale somebody!' the brunette thought. No matter what happened, she did _not_ want a murder on her conscience.

' _ **And**_ _ **it sends out waves of plasma energy when you press the circular button in the center,**_ ' Bill added, ' _ **the mechanics are so basic, single-celled organisms could use it!**_ '

'What do I do to get rid of those things?' she asked hesitantly, holding the weapon in a loose grip. 'I don't exactly want to add homicide to the list of things I did this summer.'

Bill huffed in disappointment. ' _ **Well, if you want to be boring, press the glowing line in the top left corner.**_ '

Evelyn sighed in relief as the blade disappeared the moment she pressed the line. That was a crisis averted.

Just then, Wendy finally spoke up.

"Seriously, how are you doing that?" the redhead was staring at her friend in disbelief. "How do you know _any_ of this stuff?"

Evelyn stared at her friend in trepidation, seeing the determined set of her shoulders. Wendy could be at times oblivious, but this was definitely not going to slide past her friend without a fight.

"Look, I can explain later, alright?" Evelyn began, her tone almost pleading. "Let's just get out of here first, and then we can talk. Please, trust me."

Wendy stared at her fried for a moment, thinking her offer through.

Evelyn was being sincere; she couldn't explain everything while they were trying to escape. She needed her friend to trust her to follow through…

"Alright Lynnie. I trust you." Wendy sighed, sending her a weak, overwhelmed grin.

The two started for the door that the twin creatures had exited from, and after a quick hack by Evelyn (aided by Bill's knowledge), they managed to enter the larger space.

The room they entered had a surprisingly tall steel ceiling, and was very wide, allowing a lot of space for the innumerable boxes and crates stacked throughout the cargo area. From their angle, the two could just see the top part of a large bay door.

Evelyn felt her heart swell with hope; she was almost sure that the door was the way out of the giant hunk of metal they were trapped in, and it was _so close_.

Before the two teens could scramble over however, a familiar voice stopped them in their tracks.

"No, you stupid, Dramonitian fool! The A level boxes go in the A level section, not the C level!"

Evelyn and Wendy exchanged one dismal glance, before slowly moving forward, using the boxes and crates as cover.

As they peered behind a corner they realized that there was a large, empty space in the center of the room, the boxes organised in the corners, giving the clearing all the space it needed for either more cargo or machinery.

Across the wide, empty space was the small, furry form of Mr. Hummus, who was yelling at a large, purple alien with tentacles for arms and a scaly face.

There were a few other creatures around him; a tall, pink creature with bulbous eyes and long, thin antennae; a short, rotund creature that seemed to be made of semi-solid slime (he was wearing a large protective suit, probably to stop him from making a mess). A more feminine green alien with ten arms, all of which seemed to be conveying something different; and a creature that was plain gray, with some markings creating raised scars along it's body. Its eyes were filmy white, and Evelyn couldn't help but shudder; it was something she would have had nightmares about as a child.

' _ **The only thing that should have been in your nightmares is**_ _ **me**_ _ **, Little Bird.**_ ' Bill commented absentmindedly.

'Why would you _say_ that?'

' _ **Because I'm the only thing that should be haunting your dreams.**_ ' His tone had changed to what she assumed he thought was suave, and she rolled her red eyes.

'Real classy, Bill.' Evelyn though sarcastically.

' _ **You know it's working.**_ ' He retorted cheekily, to the confusion of the teen.

Before she could ask what that meant, she felt Wendy's hand on her shoulder.

"We should sneak past now, while their backs are turned." The redhead whispered.

Sure enough, the motely crew of aliens seemed to be sufficiently distracted by the boxes and the tiny yelling ball of fur, leaving the two girls with the perfect opportunity to sneak past them and run to the next collection of crates.

Nodding her agreement, Evelyn darted forward with Wendy, leaving the security of their shelter for the open floor.

As they stealthily attempted to run, they noticed both the green alien and the gray humanoid seem to freeze. Both sampled the air; with a forked tongue in the green one's case, while the gray one seemed to cock its head in a disjointed motion.

Evelyn's blood froze, but she forced herself to move for the boxes before the aliens could turn around.

She and Wendy made it to the next series of crates, and heard a smooth, whispering voice say, "Boss-ss, the humanss ssseem to be-"

"Not now, you Puriticus wench! This needs to be organised, otherwise we go to the auction empty-handed, and somebody will pay for that with their hide!"

The creatures didn't protest or attempt to call anything else to attention, leaving the girls to share a grateful look as they leaned against the boxes and exhaled one long, pent up breath.

Whether it was their breath or the fact that they'd stirred some of the stale air with their bodies, neither knew what caused the wave of dust to settle over them.

All they knew was that it made Evelyn's nose itch so unbearably that she couldn't help but let out one, single sneeze.

The sound echoed in the wide room, and Evelyn immediately covered her mouth, her fear and adrenaline spiking as she heard the other creatures go still.

"Crap." She muttered.

The monsters descended on them without ceremony; one second they weren't there, and the next, they were. Their path was blocked by the large alien and the one with bulbous eyes, while they could hear the others heading towards the other side to block off any other exits from their little space.

Mr. Hummus approached from behind the two aliens in front of them, a menacing smile on his cherubic face. "Well, if it isn't the two earthlings. Was your cell not a satisfying living quarter?"

Hearing the others start to close in, Evelyn reacted; grabbing one of the looser crates, she sent it tumbling in the direction of Mr. Hummus and his minions, forcing them to dive out of the way to avoid being flattened by their wares.

The two teens took their opportunity, leaping through the opening the creatures created and dashing for the metallic bay doors.

Their run was cut short when the gray humanoid appeared in front of them. Its actions seemed almost to blur; it moved too fast for either girl to process.

Just as quickly as it appeared, the creature vanished, returning before they'd even taken a few steps away with a thick rope. The green alien reached them as well, and two of her arms grabbed them and forced them backward, while another hand lashed out, fingers reaching for their faces with a mind of its own.

Both girls crashed into figures behind them, and Evelyn could only guess she's been rammed into the gelatinous creature, since she could clearly feel its form bend inwards slightly at her weight.

Gloved, gooey hands held her arms to the creature's frame as the same was done to Wendy. The unnerving, gray alien began to move forward menacingly, the rope standing in stark contrast to its skin tone. Somewhere in Evelyn's brain, a small voice told her to fight, fight, _fight_ , to stay alive and escape, but the creature's grip was strong, and she wouldn't leave without Wendy.

Said redhead managed to gain her attention and mimed expanding her stomach and stretching out her arms discreetly, before giving her a meaningful glance at the rope.

A bulb lit up in Evelyn's brain at the example Wendy had given, and when the creature went to tie her up, she barely put up a fight. Once it began to wind the rope around her, she did as Wendy instructed, forcing her stomach to expand as much as possible and spacing her arms as far away from her side as she could without arousing suspicion.

The creature didn't seem to notice and moved on to Wendy without comment. The younger teen gave her friend a discreet wink and the brunette could barely smother her grin, turning her head to face Mr. Hummus, who had just reached them. She tried to mask her expression into on e of anger. It certainly wasn't difficult, as she stared at the one that had gotten them into the whole mess.

"That was quite the feeble attempt, humans." Mr. Hummus commented, a sick grin on his face. His menacing tone did not go well with his squeaking voice, and it made Evelyn unsure whether she should take him seriously.

One looked around at the looming figures of his lackeys, however, made the decision for her in a second.

"To think you could escape from _me_ ," he continued, scoffing, "Maletos, the great bounty hunter!"

"Wait, your name isn't Mr. Hummus?" Wendy asked.

When Evelyn made eye contact with her, she wiggled slightly, and mouthed 'stall him'. Eyes widening in comprehension, the brunette nodded.

"Of course not, you foolish brat. It was a name I took up when I entered your world years ago and saw it written on a sign." He puffed himself up. "I chose it to inspire confidence in the weak humans who came here!"

"Phew, because if that was really your name, you'd be even more pathetic than you already are!" Wendy taunted, a grin on her face.

With a scream resembling the sound of a steaming kettle, Mr. Hummus -Maletos- slapped the redhead's leg, his claws managing to slice through the fabric enough to reach her freckled skin.

Wendy winced, and Evelyn, desperate to turn his attention away from her friend, asked, "What do you mean, 'came here'? What _is_ this place?"

Maletos shook himself slightly and turned to her in a dignified manner. "Now you're finally asking the right questions. The world that you saw before was a hologram, generated by this very ship. It is meant to draw your kind in, and once they meet little, helpless me, it inspires their confidence in my tale. I poison their teas, they pass out, I bring them here, then they are transported away to the market."

Evelyn couldn't believe it had worked. He was _actually_ monologuing! She'd just tried to get him to focus on her, but now he was sharing his evil plots like a villain in an old cartoon!

' _ **Why is he telling you this**_ _ **now**_ _ **?**_ ' Bill wondered, completely confused. ' _ **if he had any brain cells, he'd wait until we were already halfway to his destination before he decided to share secrets.**_ '

'Well, it's lucky for us that he doesn't have any foresight.' Evelyn thought. It gave them time to get ready to escape.

While he was talking, the two captives had been experimentally moving, attempting to move their arms to the front to pop them out when the time was right and pull off their ropes.

Maletos continued, completely unaware, as his lackeys casually inspected their hair, scales or slime, seeming uninterested in their boss' speech. "We've had a large success rate, luring and kidnapping humans for over a hundred Earth years."

"You've been taking people for that long?" Evelyn asked incredulously.

"Yes!" Maletos giggled. "Your kind are so easily driven by curiosity. All you need is to put a light on a path _just_ out of reach, and you'll flock to it!"

"That diner sign…" Wendy mumbled, her eyes searching for an answer just beyond her grasp.

Evelyn almost had her arms in a location where she could pull them out of the rope. If he would just talk a bit more…

"We had an older light, but when one stupid human broke it, we were forced to steal one from your world and… alter it."

"Alter it how? And when did you steal the sign?" Wendy asked. "Lazy Susan's diner sign has been around since before I was born."

The brunette wondered that as well, remembering a comment her uncle had made once about how old and broken everything was there. IF the sign was already worn down, it must have been a long time since it had been replaced, right?

"Our alterations merely made the light more attractive to your kind, to force them to pursue it. It also happens to be linked to the VR interface from the ship, allowing me remote access from said sign to the reality we create.

"As for the question of time…" Maletos scowled, his small, infantile nose scrunching up. "We've managed a steady stream of coming and going from your world through the wardrobe for a very long time… until some filth managed to close the gateway over thirty years ago."

Thirty years… that number had come up more than once, Evelyn realized. Who could have lived in Gravity Falls thirty years ago that would have made such an impact on the oddities of the town?

Shaking herself from that thought process, the brunette saw Maletos command both the gray and the green creature to 'check the numbers' for the engine, and once they were out of sight and the small ball of fur was busy ordering around the rest of his crew before dealing with them, Evelyn turned to look at Wendy and gave her a nod.

They were ready.

As quick as they could, they bounded up, their arms coming free from their restraints and the ropes falling with no hold to keep them attached, too loose to be able to be wrapped around them in any way.

Maletos let out a surprised squawk as the girls pulled out their stolen weapons, extending them as the remaining creatures began to run forward.

Swinging the glowing staff, Evelyn managed to club the pink creature right in it's bulging eye. It squealed in pain, clutching its eye as Evelyn moved past it, her sights on Maletos, who was now squeaking orders as his crew scrambled to regain control of the situation.

A glance at Wendy assured the brunette that her friend was holding her own, blocking any attacks from the scaled and tentacled alien that was trying to grab her arm.

The slime creature jumped in front of her, and Evelyn barely had time to change directions, bolting towards one of the side walls.

The alien gave chase, and the red-eyed teen had to sprint. There was a panel door on the wall twenty feet in front of her, maybe she could trap it inside…

Putting on a burst of speed, Evelyn slammed her shoulder into the access pad on the side of the door. It fizzled and the door opened, revealing two somewhat feathery, birdlike creatures locked in a passionate embrace in a small storage unit.

Shocked and slightly embarrassed, Evelyn stuttered out, "U-um, sorry!", before bolting to the side.

The slime alien didn't seem to be as agile, because he went barreling into the small storage space. Indignant squawking and angry yells could be heard, and Evelyn couldn't hold back her surprised smile as she backtracked to Wendy.

A blur passed by her; the gray creature was back. It stopped in front of her and regarded her with it's milky eyes, causing the teen to feel a thrill of fear. Before it could move, however, she swung her staff like a bat, managing to catch it off-guard and clip its head before it could move away.

They continued this for a brief moment in time; she would hit, it would get away before any serious damage could be done, rinse, and repeat. Suddenly the creature stopped, stared, and didn't move as she hit it, sending it crashing into the nearby crates. She stared at it with wide, desperate eyes, waiting for it to stand up and blur forward, but it never did. It simply sat in the broken crate, staring at her indecipherably.

After it remained frozen for a bit longer, Evelyn chose to take advantage of the creature's apparent change of heart and mumbled a 'thank you' in its direction, before running back to Wendy.

The redhead had managed to stun the large alien and was just in the midst of her own battle with the green feminine alien, and though Evelyn was too far to hear whatever the green creature was hissing, it was clearly enough to contort her friend's face in confusion, anxiety, and anger.

Wendy didn't let what the creature was saying get to her however; she continued swinging, and landed a hard blow to the green alien's head, causing the many armed being to collapse.

Both girl's ran to the exit, relief clouding them when they didn't hear anything behind them pursuing. They stopped only feet from the panel however, when they noticed the small form of Maletos, grinning malevolently at them.

"Did you truly think you could escape me, Maletos, so easily? Others greater than you have tried and failed, so how would such weak humans manage to-!"

Without giving him much chance to build himself up, Evelyn focused all of her energy and anger into her arms and swung, clubbing the little ball of trickery and sending him soaring several feet away.

"Four!" Wendy jokingly called, and both girls shared a laugh as they reached the pad.

It was smooth and had a slot, unlike the other locks. Taking out her card, Wendy inserted it, and even though the pad lit up in greens and blues in acceptance, the door remained shut.

"What?" Evelyn murmured, her heart falling into her stomach. Why hadn't it worked?

Wendy scanned the area, looking for an explanation, and once she spotted it, she shouted, "Look! There's a slot there too!"

Sure enough, on the other side of the bay door was a matching pad.

Pulling out her own key card, Evelyn glanced at Wendy before bolting to the other side, reaching the slot just as Maletos began to stir nearby.

She slipped the card in the slot and it lit up, this time bringing a whirring sound as the door was raised, giving them a glimpse of the black and green-lined space they'd seen before.

Grabbing each other's hands, they ran in the direction they'd come from, hoping that they would spot something that signal where they were in relation to the wardrobe.

As they tried to escape, their breaths coming out in pained pants and their sides stitching, they could hear the sounds of the aliens beginning to follow in pursuit.

It took them a few minutes to reach the direction they remembered the house being, but after a few steps in the direction they vaguely remember coming from, they looked around helplessly.

"How are we gonna get out of here?!" Wendy asked, her voice raising in hysteria.

Evelyn looked around carefully, and noticed a break in a green line. Propping down to inspect it, she felt the thick fabric of their string, and a smile lit up her face.

"With this!" Pulling up the string, Evelyn nodded in the direction it was heading, and soon the girls were running along the string, letting it slip through their hands as they went along.

Soon enough they saw the dark figure of the diner sign, it's light extinguished. The two doubled their pace as multiple footsteps could be heard, the group of creatures getting closer every passing second.

"Come on, come on, come on…" Evelyn muttered, a steady mantra as they reached the end of the string trail.

"You go in first," Evelyn told her friend and before she could protest, she pushed her forward. "Now!"

Wendy scrambled in, pushing the coats aside. The aliens were only feet away now. Evelyn could see a glimpse of the forest on the other side as she hurried forward, hearing the shouts, and screams of Maletos as her face met fresh air.

She tumbled out of the wardrobe, and both girls immediately slammed its doors shut, hearing bangs and screams of anger before all fell deadly silent.

Both teens exchanged one, exhausted look before collapsing in the tall grass. The only sound to be heard was their gasping breaths.

They'd escaped.

-DaLD-

The two managed to make it home at close to dawn, and, after grabbing some medicals supplies, headed to Wendy's room to patch themselves up.

Evelyn insisted that Wendy got treated first, since she was bleeding, while the older teen was only bruised and battered.

As she applied antiseptic to the younger girl's leg, Evelyn couldn't help but feel a wave of remorse pass over her. "…I'm really sorry that you got dragged into this." Pausing her ministrations to run a frustrated hand through her hair, she continued; "I should have realized that Mr. Hummus was lying and never come back to help. I just thought _maybe_ I could be able to help someone-"

Wendy put a hand on her friend's shoulder, stopping her from continuing her rant. "Lynnie, I was going to follow you in no matter what. And yeah, Mr. Hummus was shady, but," she shrugged, "I didn't think he was going to go alien-and-virtual-reality crazy on us."

"Besides," she added, "You made this sleepover one hundred times more badass than that time Tambry and I broke into the school and drew all over Ms. Beluchi's desk! We literally just escaped aliens!" her eyes widened as everything hit her. "You clubbed one across the room!"

The two stared at each other for one long, tense second. Evelyn wasn't quite sure who began giggling first, but they quickly devolved into helpless laughter, the absurdity of their situation, and their relief at having made it in one piece, overwhelming them.

They managed to slow their laughter into the occasional chuckle, hoping they hadn't woken up any of the other Corduroys. As Evelyn wiped a bit more antiseptic on the cuts and began to bandage it, a thought occurred to her.

"Wendy, back on the ship… what was that green alien saying to you? You looked really freaked out."

Wendy's entire face changed, an echo of her earlier despair, confusion and anger flashing in her eyes. The redhead was suddenly tense beside her friend, and from the way her lips thinned and her posture became defensive, Evelyn could tell she'd somehow struck a cord. What could the alien have said to her?

Wendy cleared her throat and attempted a blasé attitude. "Oh, it was nothing. Just your normal smack-talk and weird alien comments that don't make sense."

Her friend had a slightly panicked and strange glint in her eye, and immediately changed the subject. "Actually Lynnie, that reminds me… what was happening with you on the space ship?"

Evelyn, who had been looking at Evelyn in concern up until that point about her friend's wellbeing, immediately snapped back.

"You told me you'd explain everything when you got back." Wendy continued. "We're back. So how did you know what to do?"

Evelyn, for the umpteenth time that day, felt her blood freeze. She'd forgotten, in the rush of everything that had happened, that she'd promised to tell her the truth. Now that she was faced with actually doing it, she could feel her words catching in her throat, and any previous thoughts fled her mind as she tried to come up with an answer.

' _ **You're not actually going to tell her though, right?**_ ' Bill asked, his tone good natured. It changed slightly when she didn't respond. ' _ **Little Bird, you're going to lie to her… Little Bird?**_ '

Evelyn held her breath. '…I think I'm going to tell her the truth.'

' _ **WHAT?!**_ ' Bill raged. His voice took on a startling echo. ' _ **Are you out of your mind, Little Bird?!**_ '

'…Maybe?' she mentally sighed. 'Look, just hear me out. I've never told anyone about you, not even my family, and… it's really stressful to keep it all to myself. I'll only tell her the basics; it's not like I know much about you anyway.'

' _ **Little Bird,**_ ' Bill let out a frustrated breath. ' _ **the less people who know, the better. Do you really think she'd even believe you?**_ '

'I… I have to at least try.'

' _ **Little Bird, don't you dare-**_ ' Bill began, but Evelyn began speaking before he could say anything else.

"It's going to sound… _crazy_ , and you can't tell anyone else, okay? Not even my siblings." Evelyn's heart clenched and a part of her didn't want to share this secret with her; one small, quiet part of her was possessive, claiming Bill as hers and no one else's…

But Evelyn knew she needed this. She needed someone around her age that she could trust with her secret, someone she could talk to about her fears and her troubles when it came to the mysterious voice residing in her head.

But first, she had to convince her.

"Of course I won't." Wendy eyed her critically, confusion warning with caution. Any glimmer of her previously defensive attitude was gone, leaving the redhead her usual self. "…You're not in trouble, are you Lynnie?"

"No, I'm not!" Evelyn said quickly. "It's just something I know isn't exactly normal…"

"Dude, you literally managed to hack two different doors and made some random alien-tech work. _Nothing_ about this is normal."

"Okay." Evelyn took a deep breath, gathering her courage. "…I have a voice in my head."

"You hear voices in your head?" Wendy repeated skeptically.

"Yes-No! N-not in that way." Evelyn looked down, thinking over what she wanted to say. "It-he's not just some voice that's in my head because I'm crazy. He…"

She groaned, glancing up at her friend's confused face. Finally, a metaphorical light bulb lit up, an idea occurring to her on how she could make Wendy understand.

"Do you remember that time we were in the convenience store, and those ghosts were stealing away teenagers?"

"Yeah man, how could I forget? We almost died!" Wendy shook her head. "What does this have to do with your 'voice'?"

"I was almost taken by the light, remember?" At her friend's nod, she continued. "But I said something, something he told me to say."

"Evie…" Wendy sounded concerned now. "Who is 'he'?"

Evelyn made eye contact with her friend, trying to show her sincerity. "His name is Bill Cipher and he's been helping me out of dangerous situations almost since I got here. _He_ told me the codes, _he_ hacked the software, and _he_ was the one to make the R7X4 Stentin work."

"R7X4 Stentin?" Wendy echoed, looking overwhelmed.

"That's what Bill called the stick we used." Evelyn sighed, running a hand through her long hair before dropping it down to dangle uselessly in her lap. "Look, I've been having dreams of him since a week after I got here. He needs me for something, but so far, he hasn't told me anything. But he's been with me almost every step of the way. He's kept me _safe_."

The redhead was silent for a moment. "You're… you're serious about this, aren't you?"

Evelyn nodded solemnly, before giving her a weak smile. "I mean, it's not exactly normal to be a master alien-tech hacker, right?"

Wendy tried to chuckle, but it came out sounding a bit strangled. "I guess not." She looked up at the brunette warily. "He's not- can he hear us right now?"

"Yeah." Evelyn winced. "He's not exactly happy that you know, but I had to at least tell someone."

"Why?" Wendy asked. Her blunt tone startled the older teen. "Why did you need to tell me this? You could have lied."

' _ **Exactly, Little Bird.**_ ' Bill said sourly.

Evelyn chuckled, and at her friend's alarmed look, she explained, "He's agreeing with you right now. And I didn't want to lie to you. You're my friend, and you could clearly tell that something was off… and you'd trusted me before."

The red-eyed teen couldn't stop her voice from sounding softer at the last sentence, but Wendy heard her clearly.

Reaching out to hold the older girl's hand, she squeezed gently. "I _do_ trust you, Lynnie. I mean, it all sounds pretty out there, but… I saw what you did, and we literally just came back from a space-ship which generated a magical world in a wardrobe! You having a noisy conscience is not that impossible or crazy after that."

"Well… normal is relative when it comes to being here, I guess." Evelyn shrugged, and squeezed her friend's hand back lightly. "Do you really believe me?"

Wendy gave an uncharacteristically kind smile, seeing the vulnerability in her friend's eyes, and moved forward, enveloping the brunette in a hug.

"I do believe you." Wendy mumbled in her friend's ear. "It… might take me a bit to completely understand it, but I know you're not the type to make up some crazy excuse for attention. You're too awesome for that."

Evelyn held the other girl tightly as the other girl chuckled slightly to lighten the mood. She could not have picked a better friend; despite being younger, Wendy could be remarkably mature and… she genuinely seemed to care about her.

"Thank you." She breathed.

The two girls pulled away from each other, their eyes now carrying a shared weight. Wendy may have some difficulty fully understanding what Evelyn was saying, but for now she was accepting it, and for her… that was enough.

"So," Wendy began, breaking the silence. "What's he like?"

"Well, Bill is… unusual." Evelyn began.

"Unlike his name." Wendy snickered.

' _ **Says the human that's like every other life form on this miserable planet.**_ ' Bill mumbled, annoyed at the both of them.

Evelyn's mouth twitched, and Wendy asked, "What? Did he say something?"

"Um, he said 'says the human that's like every other lifeform on the planet.'" She chose not to add the 'miserable' part.

The redhead blinked, before a slight grin appeared on her face. "Can he hear me when I talk to him?"

' _ **Obviously.**_ ' Bill drawled.

"He said yes." Evelyn translated.

"Okay," Wendy moved to sit cross legged in front of the brunette. "What's your favourite colour?"

' _ **Blood and flames.**_ ' He replied cheerfully.

"He likes red." Evelyn supplied.

"What do you like to do?"

' _ **Other than be in Little Bird's brain? I like watching planets burn!**_ '

"He enjoys travelling."

"What's your current pastime?"

' _ **Saving and annoying Little Bird.**_ '

"Annoying me."

"Hmm…" Wendy pondered for a second. "Are you going to hurt Lynnie?"

There was a pause as both girls waited for a response.

'… _ **As long as Little Bird is still breathing, I'll make sure that she doesn't get hurt.**_ '

Evelyn felt a smile soften her face as her heart warmed at his words. Even though he was mad with her, he would still say things like that; it made her a bit hopeful that he wouldn't chew her head off once she was home about what she'd done.

"He said as long as I'm breathing, he'll make sure I'm okay." She repeated. "Thanks, Bill."

She could hear him grumbling, but she decided to talk to him about it later, instead choosing to inspect her friend's reaction.

Wendy had been staring at her with a strange expression, taking in the brunette's reaction to his words, before shaking her head slightly with a smile. "Alright, that's a good sign. Now a question for you; how do you normally talk to him? I mean, I've never heard you randomly start talking to yourself…"

"Oh, I usually talk to him mentally," Evelyn explained. "I just think something to him, and he hears it. Sometimes he can hear my other thoughts too."

"And he's in your head _all_ the time?" Wendy wondered.

"Well, not always; sometimes he goes somewhere else. He says it takes energy to be in my head all the time, so he goes away for a bit." The brunette shrugged again. She honestly had no clue where he went, not that he'd tell her.

The redhead seemed to think it over, before another thought occurred to her. "…What about bathroom breaks?"

Evelyn blushed lightly. "What about it?"

Wendy was beginning to look amused. "Well, does he leave when you go to the bathroom, or is there some system…?"

Her blush deepened. "W-we have a system… he normally leaves my head for a few minutes three times a day, and sometimes he's out of my head for an entire day, so everything works out."

Wendy couldn't help it; she let out a laugh. "Dude, your face is so red!" she attempted to stifle her laughter, her shoulders shaking with effort.

Evelyn mumbled under her breath, putting a hand on her cheek to help it cool. "You're the worst."

Wendy's gaze softened, and her grin melted into a smile. "Come on, let's work on your bruises, Lynnie."

The redhead picked up the forgotten first and supplies, and the embarrassed seventeen-year old obligingly moved forward, letting her friend inspect her small injuries.

Their sleepover certainly hadn't ended up being exactly how they had planned, but as she felt a weight lift itself off her shoulders, Evelyn found that she didn't exactly mind.

-DaLD-

After getting only an hour of sleep Evelyn said goodbye to Wendy and headed into the Shack. Her adrenaline had long since diminished, and the brunette found that she could barely stand on her feet as she made her way through the hall to the living room.

A chorus of, "Evie!" from the twins greeted her, and she obligingly smiled and accepted the hug an excited Mabel gave her.

"Hey, you two," she said tiredly, "how are you guys?"

"Good!" Mabel chirped. "I did a makeover on myself and forced Dipper to try some Mabel-juice!"

The other twin winced, rubbing his throat at the memory. "You're never doing that again Mabel." He cast a critical eye over his eldest sister, and began in a worried tone, "You okay, Evie?"

"Yeah," Evelyn yawned, "just had a… _crazy_ night."

"Well, you better be in working shape, kid." Their uncle grunted as he walked into the room, newspaper under his arm as he headed for his chair.

"Yes, sir!" Evelyn joked, saluting. It came out more as if she was trying to whack her nose, catching everyone's attention.

Her family watched her sway on her feet for a moment, looking dubious.

"Seriously, I'll," she paused to yawn again, "I'll be fine."

Both twins levelled their uncle with a stern gaze, and after attempting to ignore it, Stan sighed and gave in.

"Kid, the only place you're going is Dreamland." He pointed in the direction of the stairs, keeping his voice gruff. "Take a nap; I don't want you passing out on a tourist."

Evelyn eyed him with surprise, but gave him a smile all the same. "Thanks, Grunkle Stan."

She gave his shoulder a gentle squeeze, sent a badly executed wave back to the twins, and made her way to her room, where her warm bed waited.

'No, it's definitely been a crazy night.' Evelyn thought, 'but I wouldn't change it for the world.'

-DaLD-

 _She told someone. Little Bird_ _ **told**_ _someone!_

 _He hadn't thought this would be a problem, but apparently, he'd been wrong. He would_ _ **definitely**_ _be having a talk with her._

 _Still, it could have been worse than Ice Bag… the girl was much more in the dark than the rest. Imagine if she'd told Pine Tree!_

 _This wouldn't damage any of his plans at least; he'd just have to make sure that Little Bird didn't blab to anyone else. He couldn't have everything be over before it had even begun, now could he?_

 **-DaLD-**

 **Hey guys! It has been a while. I didn't realize that my summer would be as busy as it has been, but when life comes, sometimes you roll with it. India was an absolutely an amazing experience, and I am happy to say that a part of this chapter was written in an ashram in Rishikesh, a holy city in the Himalayan mountains. It was an inspirational and moving trip for me (not without its own difficulties), and I know I'll be going back as soon as I can.**

 **After the trip though, I got food poisoning and once I was cured I went from canoe camping to spending the week on a family trip, so writing time was few and far in between. I'm really sorry for the delay, and hope this chapter can somewhat make up for it! The next chapter (which will be coming out in the next two weeks) will have a bit more information of what happened after for both Wendy and Evie, though for now we won't know what the alien said to Wendy…**

 **I tried to write a realistic yet heartfelt scene with Wendy and Evie, and hopefully I managed to convey that in my writing. Let me know if you liked it!**

 **As for the contest, I would like to congratulate the first winner, lunamoon531! I will be continuing the contest by counting to 300 from before lunamoon531 began reviewing to give someone else a chance as well. I will try to contact both winners at the same time. The prize is a short, possibly-canonical one-shot of Bill and Evie, and I will answer one question, as long as its not to spoiler heavy. I hope this works with everyone!**

 **Onwards to reviews!**

 **To Moon Ninja Luna: Thank you for your understanding! The movie was a light foreshadowing of how the episode would go down, but I tried to not make it too obvious. I wanted there to be a surprise for everyone.** **Though it may not have been brought up in the chapter, the aliens** _ **have**_ **heard of Bill, though he's known by many names to them.**

 **Dragongirl1806: Yeah, going to India was slightly insane (in a good way). So far Cake is a good option, and once I update, I'll begin a poll on names for them. As for the little excerpt, I can say that Calla's reaction might be a little different than what you have going on in the short. Let's just say that there will be a lot of confusion on her part…**

 **Rei: I hope this chapter answered the question about Mr. Hummus! I'm willing to write lore on him in the author's note if you have any other questions on him, since he was a fun concept to write. Thank you so much for what you said about Evelyn as a character! It really is amazing when people let me know that I'm doing her right and not destroying a great show. I can't wait for them to finally meet too; it's definitely going to be weird!**

 **musicalocelot: Though I knew this was going to be a Wendy/Evie adventure, I did at least want to show a bit of hesitation on Evie's part, and I'm glad it worked! Mr. Hummus definitely deserves that punishment, and I'll help by lighting the bus on fire beforehand. The trip was great, thank you!**

 **Fantasy Fan 223: I love that Evie's relatable to older sisters out there! She's definitely a relatable figure to me, someone who has a younger sibling and is almost always trying to be the parental figure while still trying to be fun, and I enjoy making her echo a personality most of us can understand. Thank you so much! And any artwork you come out with in the future will be just as amazing as what you've done already!**

 **alextisgr8: Thanks, I'll be sure to try and avoid that. I see it happen pretty often, and I can get how it can be tiring!**

 **Redvintage888: I hope Wendy's reaction was believable! She's still pretty confused by it all, so there's still a lot for Wendy to learn about Bill and Evie. I like the idea of Wendy giving Evie a new nickname, since it's something that Evie's not really used to; she's always just been Evie. And the Rising in the Ashes chapter is coming out either tomorrow or the day after, depending on how much work I have. I hope that's okay! And my trip was amazing, thank you!**

 **ValeofArryn: Thank you! I hope this chapter made you happy!**

 **SolangeloUniverse: This scared me for a moment! I was wondering what I'd done wrong. It's good to know that I've potentially ruined you when it comes to Evelyn in the show (just kidding!).**

 **Luna Latanya: I know I already answered your questions before, but I would just like to say that more of Evelyn's past will be revealed in the future, also answering some of the currently unanswered questions about her personal life. Unfortunately, she won't be dating Wendy, though I do have something interesting lined up for our favourite redhead in the future! One thing I will say about Evelyn though, is that she's had a sincere lack of… woman talks. I plan on expanding on this in the future, and hopefully it will add on to Evelyn's character well!**

 **lunamoon531: Thank you for the reviews! It was really fun to read each one as you got through the story. Expect a PM soon!**

 **I am back in school, and my course load has increased, but I think I might be able to get back into my bimonthly update, since I am now back on canon episodes. As much as I love writing original ones, it does take time, and if I'm struck with writer's block, the original plot ultimately suffers more from it. I still plan on writing more original chapters, but it feels nice to be able to work with the twins and their familiar adventures.**

 **If anyone has any questions about my trip to India (like if you'd want to go someday and want a general description of my experience), feel free to PM me about it!**

 **Thank you all so much for sticking with me this past year, and I hope that you all find any future chapters to be intriguing and fun to read! Please favourite, follow, and/or review, and no flames, s'il vous plait! I'm sorry if there are any grammatical errors, and please have an amazing day/night! -Aria**

 **I don't own Gravity Falls.**

 **Dszg droo Orggov Yriw wl gl ivtzrm dszg hsv'oo olhv?**


	32. Chapter XXXI: TTTP (part 1)

As Evelyn stared at the half-hearted attempt of a fair, thrown together by her conman of an uncle, she couldn't help but frown.

It had been nearly a week since her adventure with Wendy, and when she'd finally been lucid enough to understand Grunkle Stan's grandiose plan of a rip-off carnival, the brunette had known it would most likely go horribly, horribly wrong.

Even the men who had been helping Soos set up for the past two days had been on the shadier side, and she didn't think that it was unlikely that they might have purposefully rigged some of the rides when Stan had swindled them out of their pay.

' _ **Your uncle is going to end up with some powerful enemies if this is his go to, Little Bird.**_ ' Bill commented smartly.

'You can say that again.' Evelyn sighed. 'I swear, one day he's going to dig himself into a hole he can't get out of.'

Things between her and Bill had cooled after their initial fight over Wendy's knowledge, and now that almost a week later the chatterbox redhead still hadn't said a peep to anyone about Evelyn's little 'devil on her shoulder' as Wendy had called him once, Bill had calmed down.

Still it certainly hadn't been easy to get to him to be so laid back about Wendy in the beginning...

-DaLD-

 _Evelyn found herself almost immediately thrown into the Mindscape the moment she landed on her bed, having passed out immediately. Exhaustion came with almost being abducted, she supposed._

 _"_ _ **So Little Bird,**_ _" Bill began pleasantly. His tone quickly changed however, and the Mindscape began to have a reddish tinge. '_ _ **do you mind telling me WHAT YOU WERE THINKING?!**_ _'_

 _Sitting down on a nearby rock, Evelyn spoke to thin air. "I told you. I wanted to have someone to confide in."_

 _"_ _ **What, I wasn't enough**_ _?" Bill scoffed. "_ _ **You know, it's dangerous to get people involved, Little Bird.**_ _"_

 _"Are you...threatening her?" Evelyn asked incredulously._

 _"_ _ **I'm not threatening anyone; I'm just telling you the truth. The more people who know, the more likely it'll reach the wrong person's ears.**_

 _"_ _ **I have enemies, Little Bird,**_ _" Bill said seriously. "_ _ **And some of them will be only too happy to go through you to get to me. And how many people do you really think will believe you? You got**_ _ **lucky**_ _ **this time.**_ _"_

 _Evelyn absorbed all the new information silently, quiet fears playing out on her face. What if Dipper found out and was overheard discussing it? For a boy that was constantly anxious about being heard, he could be remarkably oblivious to any dangers nearby. And Mabel..._

 _"_ _ **And what if,**_ _" Bill continued in a dangerously soft voice, knowing the effect his words had on her, "_ _ **people do believe you, and they get scared? They'll call the professionals, who bring in the government, and soon you might end up a hushed-up secret, rotting in some facility.**_ _"_

 _Evelyn felt as though she was going to throw up. Could she have really messed up that bad just by telling Wendy? Feeling helpless and naive, she asked, "What should I do?"_

 _The red tinge receded, and a wave of comfort washed over her. She welcomed it, hugging herself to keep the dark thoughts at bay._

 _"_ _ **What you should do, Little Bird,**_ _' he said as calmly as possible, "_ _ **is let me erase Ice Bag's memory.**_ _"_

 _"What?" Evelyn whispered in surprise._

 _"_ _ **Just get her somewhere alone, knock her out, and put your fingers on her temple.**_ _" He explained. "_ _ **I'll tell you a phrase and take care of the rest.**_ _"_

 _Taking her silence as consideration, he added, "_ _ **She'll only forget about me and the moments where you were doing things you shouldn't know how to do. She'll still remember all about your 'friendship'.**_ _"_

 _For a moment, the brunette mulled over his offer, staring at the ground with a pained concentration. What if it would be safer for her and Wendy to have it all be forgotten? Didn't she always strive to keep everyone close to her safe, no matter the cost? It was the best option, but..._

 _"...I don't want to." Evelyn murmured._

 _There was a dangerous silence, in which she felt Bill was ready to explode. The comforting feeling was gone, and the forest was returning to the red lighting from before. The teen knew that if she didn't do something soon, she would be swept into an entirely new tirade, and that was_ _ **not**_ _a good way to spend the night._

 _"Just listen for a second, okay?" She asked._

 _Without waiting for him to respond, she continued, "I know that it's dangerous if people know, and I won't tell anyone else, but please just let me have this_ _ **one**_ _person. Wendy's not the type to tell someone else's secret when she knows it's personal, and she_ _ **definitely**_ _won't say anything about you."_

 _He remained silent, and Evelyn desperately tried to sweeten her demand in the only way she knew how; a deal._

 _"How about this?" The brunette asked. "If Wendy manages to not say anything to anyone in the next two weeks, she gets to remember. And if she tells before the two weeks are up, you can erase her memories and I... will owe you another favour."_

 _"_ _ **Really, Little Bird?**_ _" Bill exclaimed, his tone tinged with mild surprise. "_ _ **You want to make a deal?**_ _"_

 _She gulped, hoping she wouldn't regret what she'd just done. "Yes."_

 _The ring of blue flames appeared once more, and she could hear Bill's voice echo. "_ _ **You can't back out of a deal, Little Bird. Do you really want to?**_ _"_

 _"I do." She promised._

 _"_ _ **Then we have a deal.**_ _" The flames erupted and then quickly extinguished._

 _"_ _ **But just so you know, Little Bird,**_ _" Bill added, his voice becoming threatening,_ _ **"If she even breathes a word of this to anyone, even after our deal's over, I will personally make her life a nightmare she'll never wake up from.**_ _"_

 _-DaLD-_

So far, Evelyn seemed to have made the right call; other than discreetly asking her a question when they occurred to her, Wendy had not spoken to another soul about it. If anything, the brunette was sure a part of Wendy still couldn't quite believe it.

' _ **Redhead has been good so far,**_ _'_ Bill reminded, seeing where her thoughts had gone _, '_ _ **but it's only been a week. Don't get too smug, Little Bird.**_ '

Evelyn scoffed. 'Says the guy who is so narcissistic that every sentence turns into self-praise.'

Stan walked over to his eldest niece, Mabel in tow, before Bill could argue- much to the brunette's relief. Debates went on _forever_ when Bill was concerned.

Seeing that the focus of both his nieces' was on the nearly completed attractions that dotted the lawn, Stan spread his arms wide, "There she is, girls; the cheapest fair money can rent." He beamed proudly. "I spared every expense."

Looking at the rickety rides scattered along the lot, Evelyn couldn't help but agree. "You certainly didn't pay more than the bare minimum."

Suddenly, she heard a familiar scream, followed by a crash that came from behind her as one of the sky tram carts fell. Looking behind her, she stared at her little brother in horror as he swayed from his seat in the broken cart.

"I think the sky tram is broken." he slurred, his pupils blown wide. "Also, most of my bones."

"DIPPER!" Evelyn let out a half-shriek, half-cry and immediately went to her brother's side, inspecting him as gently as she could.

From what she could tell, he didn't having any actual broken bones, just a jarred and in shock body, though she wouldn't rule out a conclusion. _This_ was why she could never trust her uncle with the twins; he never took any precautions when it came to safety!

"Dipper, follow my finger with your eyes, okay?" She asked, her voice shaking slightly with obvious concern.

He did as she said, and though she could see that his pupils weren't reacting as much as they should, the teen knew that he was well enough that Stan would refuse a visit to the hospital. If anyone, like a doctor or officer found out the rides were the cause of an actual injury, they would investigate for sure, and most likely catch Stan in a bunch of illegal acts. She wouldn't actually be surprised if he ran a black market in his spare time…

"I'm... I'm okay, Evie." Dipper blinked, his body slowly relaxing as it realized he wasn't lying broken on the grass.

Evelyn carefully lifted her brother out of the wrecked tram before engulfing him in a hug as she exhaled. Those two would be the death of her, honestly.

As he returned her hug, she mumbled. "I'm waking you up every two hours tonight, just to be sure. No complaining!"

Dipper nodded. It could have been worse; she could have said he was under house arrest until she'd decided that he'd recovered.

"Alright Ms. Overkill, now that you're done playing doctor, I've got a job for you three." Stan interrupted, unconcerned. He piled out a stack of safely inspection certificates." he tossed the stack at Dipper. "Go slap one on anything that looks like a lawsuit."

As Dipper passed off some papers to his twin and older sister, Mabel asked dubiously, "Grunkle Stan, is that legal?"

"When there's no cops around, anything's legal!" Stan exclaimed, dismissing the question and the reproachful look his eldest niece was giving him. "Soos, how's that dunk tank coming along?"

He walked off, leaving a fairly annoyed niece behind. "Don't follow that philosophy, you two." Evelyn advised. "I feel like the only reason that Grunkle Stan isn't behind bars is because the cops in town are too oblivious to notice."

"We would never do anything like that!" Mabel exclaimed. "We're too mature for that, right Dipper?"

Both siblings fixed the girl with a doubtful look.

"What?"

-DaLD-

The following morning the fair began, bringing in an influx of both tourists and locals looking for something new to do.

Having been given the day off, Evelyn wandered through the fair, trailing behind her siblings as they did their own thing, Wendy joking around with the two.

Every now and then the redhead would look back and send a smile to her friend, before her attention would be taken again by Dipper.

Evelyn knew that Dipper considered this an almost date, a way to try and win Wendy's heart in a different environment, and she felt her heart go out for her smitten brother. He was in for a very rude awakening once he realized that Wendy didn't feel the same way, but she was sure that he would figure that out sooner than later; Dipper was fairly smart for his age.

Evelyn felt a tug on her arm and looked down to see Mabel staring up at her, using her puppy eyes at full force.

"Evie, can I _pleaaaase_ get some cotton candy?" Mabel batted her eyes. Before, Evelyn had told the twins that she wanted their consumption of sugar to be at a minimum after having a few cavity scares on Mabel's part, but Mabel was never one to give up on her one true love; glucose.

"Mabel…" Evelyn sighed (groaned). She did _not_ want to have her parents pointing the fingers at her if they got a large dental bill, but she knew that expression… Mabel wouldn't rest until she either got her cotton candy, or the entire carnival descended into chaos.

' _ **Shooting Star knows how to have a good time,**_ ' Bill approved, ' _ **the only fun party is one that' chaotic.**_ '

'Let's not share that belief with Mabel,' Evelyn moaned, 'she'll take it _too_ seriously.'

With a resigned nod to her sister, she let Mabel drag her off to get the sugary stick of cavities.

It didn't take the energetic brunette long to get her hands on her sweet prize, and she immediately ran off, leaving Evelyn to sheepishly slip some money to the disgruntled worker.

"I'm sorry," Evelyn grimaced, "you know how kids can be, right?"

The worker just shrugged in disinterest.

By the time she reached Mabel again, her younger sister had joined her twin, who seemed to have been left by Wendy.

Mabel seemed to be gushing over something with her equally excited brother.

"What's gotten you two so excited?" the eldest brunette asked, temporarily putting aside her annoyance with Mabel for leaving without waiting for her to pay. Sometimes she'd just prefer to enjoy their happiness.

"It's just that everything's working out for me, Evie!" Dipper exclaimed, "I put myself out there, asked Wendy to hang out with me at the fair, and it all payed off!"

"That's what Mabes and I have been telling you, Dip!" Evelyn laughed in exasperation. "Follow what feels right, not some convoluted plot to win someone over."

'Not that you're exactly winning Wendy over,' Evelyn added silently, her heart panging with sadness at the thought of her brother figuring out that Wendy was not interested in him. It broke her heart to think of her brother hurting himself in this way, but as much as she wanted to shield him from any pain she could, she knew he would grow from this, and she had to let it happen.

That didn't make it any easier to watch it play out in front of her though.

"When are you gonna learn, Dipper?" Mabel grinned, her braces flashing. "We're always right about everything!"

The petite brunette paused her little speech to sniff at the air. "Hey, so you smell a gallon of body spray?"

Evelyn groaned. "Oh no, don't tell me-"

Before she could finish her thought, the Pines siblings all found themselves faced with Robbie, the bane of at least two of their existences. He was looking especially smug, which made Evelyn shudder; that could never be something good.

"Hey, have you dorks seen Wendy around?" Robbie made himself look as casual as possible, though his venomous glance at Evelyn fooled no one. "That includes you, freak. Aren't you attached to her hip, or something?"

Robbie had become progressively more and more bitter to her the more Wendy blew off hanging out with him for the brunette. Evelyn could understand that; it hurt when you were ignored by someone that you cared about. She just refused to be his punching bag for something she couldn't control.

"I hate to say it, but my conjoined twin does actually have a life outside of me," Evelyn snarked, "she's probably doing her own thing around the fair."

"Why do you want to know?" Dipper followed up defensively.

Robbie scoffed before casually ripping off a piece of Mabel's cotton, much to the small girl's anger.

"Hey!" she cried.

"Buy your own snack, Robbie." Evelyn glared; no one messed with her siblings.

Ignoring her, Robbie began to pull on the sides of his jeans, a smug look gracing his features. "Yeah, I got some new super tight jeans. He thrust his hips slightly, causing Evelyn to gag. "Thought she might want to check 'em out." he continued.

Dipper tensed up, but put on an air of sarcasm. "Yeah! You know, I think I saw her in the Bottomless Pit. You should really jump in there."

Robbie sneered. "Maybe I will, smart guy." He bumped into Dipper as he left, calling out, "See you never, Freak-Eyes!"

Mabel scowled both at his comment toward Evelyn and his attitude toward Dipper. "He is such a jerk."

Evelyn sighed. "You speak the truth, Mabes." She put a reassuring hand on Dipper's shoulder. "Don't let him get to you, Dipper. He's just a teen going through an existential crisis."

"Yeah, but he's doing that with tight pants and a guitar." Dipper's shoulders slumped, before straightening once more. "I need to keep him away from Wendy at all costs."

"Not every girl is into that stuff, Dip. Give Wendy some credit." Evelyn smiled; Wendy had much better taste than angry, narcissistic teens trying to get back at their parents.

Mabel nodded emphatically. "I'll be there with you, brother. Whatever happens, I'll be right here, supporting you every step of the-OH MY GOSH, A PIG!"

The tiny brunette immediately forgot about her promise, hurtling herself through the crowd to a pig booth run by a local farmer. "Mabel, no, you can't buy a pig!" Evelyn yelled at her sister's retreating back. When the girl didn't turn around, Evelyn rubbed her hand over her face with a weary sigh. "Never mind, I give up. She can talk to Grunkle Stan about it later."

She kept her eye on Mabel for a few minutes from where she was, making sure that her sister didn't take more than one, and watched as Pacifica and her groupies stopped by her. Evelyn would have intervened, if it weren't for the slightly regretful look on Pacifica's face and the curious expression on Mabel's.

Her attention was pulled back by her brother pulling on her arm at the arrival of Wendy.

"Sup, dudes." Wendy grinned, stepping in between the siblings.

"Where'd you go?" Evelyn asked, not reacting when Wendy slung her arm around the brunette's shoulders, much to the surprise of her brother.

Dipper had only ever known Evelyn to be someone cautious when not surrounded by family; the few times he'd ever seen her with other kids, she tended to keep a healthy distance. It was nice to see her getting comfortable with others, though he couldn't deny that he was hoping she'd leave Wendy and him alone for a bit…

"I spilt some mustard on my shirt," Wendy complained to her bemused friend, "It took me _hours_ to get it out."

"Funny, it doesn't feel like it's become afternoon already…" the brunette gave her friend a sly grin.

Wendy groaned. "You know what I meant, Lynnie."

"Lynnie?" Dipper echoed, lost.

Evelyn blushed slightly in embarrassment; she'd completely forgotten to tell her siblings about her new nickname.

"It's my nickname for her. I came up with it during our-" Wendy grunted as Evelyn subtly jabbed at her stomach with her elbow, and began again; "during our sleepover."

"Oh." Dipper watched them with suspicion. He felt like there was something more… "That's cool."

The redhead's eye focused on a point past them as she exclaimed, "Whoa, check it out!"

Leaving the siblings behind, she moved toward a carnie booth surrounded by strange-looking stuffies; it seemed to be a strange fusion of a duck, a platypus, and a bear. "I don't know if it's a duck or a panda, but I want one!"

Dipper quietly cleared his threat to get his sister's attention. Once she was looking at him, he subtly shook his head in the direction of other booths, a clear plea in his eyes; ' _please let me be alone with Wendy._ '

Evelyn smiled in amusement, but nodded her head. "Uh, actually I'm gonna go play some other game, but you guys can stay here."

Wendy gave her a curious glance but shrugged. "Sure. Have fun, man."

With a quick ruffle of her brothers' hair through his hat, Evelyn walked away, though she stayed within a listening radius.

The booth next to the ball toss game was balloon darts, and the brunette stepped into line behind a petite blonde. The girl shot the darts with terrible aim, and gave a sheepish smile when she noticed Evelyn looking. If she was shocked about her fellow teen's eye colour, she was definitely much better at hiding it than others.

After giving the other teen a smile in return, Evelyn turned slightly to eavesdrop in on her brother's attempt at a date. Dipper seemed to be trying to tell joke as they waited to get the carnie's attention, and Wendy was laughing. Her brother was one of the cutest things in the world when he had a crush; Evelyn had to hold back her natural instinct to smother her brother in hugs as she stared at his flustered face.

That instinct faded when she noticed Wendy glance toward the crowd, her eyes focused on something with a strange intensity she'd never seen on the redhead's face. Peering in the direction her friend was staring at so intensely, Evelyn was confused to see nothing but a man, clearly a tourist, and his daughter wandering the fair. The girl, a teen probably close to her age, had a genial smile on her face as her dad spoke to her, pointing at something on a map he held.

She lanced back at her friend to see that Wendy's face had drained of colour, and she was now resolutely staring in any other direction than the one of the tourist girl, her eyes shining with mortification, confusion and worry.

Evelyn's eyebrows furrowed as she stared with concern for her friend. But, before she could move to ask what was wrong, the carnie was calling up Dipper and Wendy, and the blonde had finished her play, having won a measly serpent stuffie the size of her hand. She gave Evelyn a passing smile, her blue eyes practically sparkling with friendliness. Evelyn smiled in return and focused on the carnie as she passed him the money and received a handful of darts.

Balloon darts was one of her preferred carnival games; they didn't require much skill, and almost always gave you at least a small victory. It was a game she used to play often at the fair back home for the twins; she'd play until she won both of the twins a stuffie before they'd go home

The nostalgic memories were enough to make Evelyn's heart lighten as she focused on the game; they could get older, but that couldn't stop her from doing something like this every once in a while.

The stereo that was attached to the stand let out several blaringly loud notes, and the screeching of the speaker almost made her clutch her ears as she winced in pain. Just when she forgot how cheap the fair could be, it reminded her in the rudest way possible.

After shaking her head to clear the ringing from her ears, she turned her focus back onto the board.

She shot her darts with precision, using just enough force to pop the balloons as she aimed for their centers. All her hits rang true, and the carnie gave a bright yet bored smile. "Congrats! You get to choose one of the large stuffies from the shelf."

"Could I possibly get two mediums instead?" she asked politely, if uncomfortably. She always felt awkward when she asked strangers for a favour, and this was no exception.

The carnie shrugged in disinterest and pulled two smaller plushies off the wall; one was a smiling rainbow, and the other was a grumpy cloud. They were cheaply made, but they still made Evelyn smile as she thought of the twins' reactions.

She thanked the man and turned to check on Dipper and Wendy, but they both were gone. Evelyn felt her anxiety spike, when she couldn't see their familiar faces, but she calmed down once she saw the back of the twins' heads as they stood talking a little ways away. She walked toward them, quickening her pace when she saw the downtrodden slump of her little brother's shoulders.

As she got closer, she saw that her sister was comfortably holding onto a pig, while her brother clutched a broken bag of ice, the cubes melting on the ground as Dipper stared vacantly ahead.

"Dipper? Are you alright?" Evelyn asked uncertainly, holding her prizes under one arm while reaching out to grab his shoulder and gently turn him towards her.

His glassy, vacant expression only worried her more and she looked to Mabel. "What's wrong? Mabel?"

Mabel looked sympathetic as she squeezed the pig slightly. "Dipper accidentally hit Wendy with a ball and now she's dating Robbie."

"What?!" Evelyn exclaimed. Robbie couldn't have actually managed to get her friend to go out with him... That would be completely unlike Wendy! Her friend had never once shown an interest in him past friendship no matter how many times he tried, so why would this have been any different?

"Look." Dipper sighed, pointing toward the Tunnel of Love and Corn Dogs.

Evelyn looked at the ride, only to see the heads of Wendy and Robbie on one of the rides… What was happening? It made no sense! Evelyn _knew_ Wendy didn't feel that way about Robbie, so what had changed?

' _ **Maybe she suddenly decided that acne and grease was attractive,**_ ' Bill joked, ' _ **you humans do have a knack for bad taste in relationships.**_ '

Evelyn mentally rolled her eyes. 'Not the time, Bill.'

The brunette felt her heart tug painfully as she stared at her brother's heartbroken expression. "Oh, Dip." She instinctively reached down to give him a hug.

Dipper didn't respond for a moment, before hesitantly squeezing back and pulling away. "...It's okay… I should have known this was going to happen…"

"You don't look okay." Evelyn responded gently, standing properly and offering her free hand. "Let's find a place to relax, okay?"

 **-DaLD-**

 **Hey guys, so I was way off the mark with that guess-timate on when the next chapter came out… I was swamped with 40 minute presentations, and exam, tests and essays galore. BUT, I've reached a slight lull in my work, so here it is! I'm currently writing the next one, so it should come out before Halloween (no promises).**

 **With this chapter, I've just been setting up future events in the chapters. Honestly, not much for me to comment on, other than the fact that I absolutely love writing scenes between the siblings! And let's just say that that blonde girl will run into Evelyn again! I wonder what's going on with Wendy…?**

 **Onto reviews!**

 **Moon Ninja Luna: Thank you so much! It's great to know that you enjoyed the last chapter and Evie and Wendy's butt-kicking!**

 **Stacked Waters: Your reviews always make me smile! India was amazing; I cannot recommend going there enough (though the heat is definitely overwhelming sometimes)! I can say that Bill will definitely be in the Sock Opera, and it'll be interesting to see Wendy's reaction!**

 **SolangeloUniverse: Yeah, Evelyn definitely has a part of her that wishes she'd kept Bill a secret. And again, I can't thank you enough for the beautiful art!**

 **Luna Latyana: That's kind of my head canon for them too! Though I'll go into depth on the family dynamic in the future… I'm happy you enjoyed the chapter!**

 **Berrybanana05: Thanks, man! I'm really happy you thought it was great!**

 **AngelPines: It's definitely going to be… interesting when the twins find out. Thanks!**

 **lunamoon531: Thanks! I wanted to give it a twist that the readers wouldn't have seen coming, so I'm glad it worked out well. As for what the alien said to Wendy… it's definitely going to be brought up in the future. :)**

 **Fantasy Fan 223: That's really sweet! And I would love any art you give me! I can say that there won't be any romance between the two friends; personally, I've always kind of seen Wendy as someone who would probably jokingly flirt with her friends (some of my friend's do this to me pretty frequently). But Wendy has an interesting romantic future ahead of her...**

 **Rei: Thank you! It made me smile to see that you thought their dynamic works out!**

 **PeanutGallerySeth: Thank you!**

 **redvintage888: Aw, thanks! I really appreciate how you've been here basically since the beginning. Your reviews always make me smile! And I'm glad you like where I went with the story. I agree- it feels good to go back to the canon episodes! :)**

 **Dragongirl1806: Your little short was great to read, as always! I was really close to updating the HP fanfic, but I scrapped the chapter because it had a lot of unnecessary detail, so I'm just working it into a larger chapter now. That'll be coming soon! And I loved your review!**

 **FormerEMObillc: I wasn't sure how to contact you… maybe you can let me know if you get another account? Or let me know a way to figure out your email (I tried to crack it, but I couldn't). I'd be interested to hear what you have to say!**

 **Guadadominguez4: I translate it, but I'm not 100% sure how accurate google translate is. :) And what you said was essentially Evie's greatest issue with Bill! Let's just hope that she can get past that soon...**

 **LumpyApple: Aw, that really made me happy! It's a strangely great feeling to know that you're someone's late-night binge read!**

 **A huge thank you to SolangeloUniverse for the beautiful fan art they made! I created the Tumblr page, but I'm still working out the kinks, so it'll be there for everyone by the next update. I hope you guys had a wonderful month, and have a wonderful spooky October!**

 **Please favourite, follow, and/or review! I apologize for any grammatical errors you guys find! No flames, please! Have a great weekend and Happy Thanksgiving to any Canadian readers! -Aria**

 **I don't own Gravity Falls.**


	33. Chapter XXXII: TTTP (part 2)

Dipper only seemed to become more somber as the day went on, even after Evelyn tried to lift his mood by giving him treats. The stuffy in the form of a grumpy raincloud that she'd won for him was hardly a good way to lighten someone's mood, not surprisingly.

By nightfall, the three siblings were loitering around a game called 'Slopey Toss.' Dipper lay sprawled on the aisle of the game, occasionally letting out muffled groans of despair as Evelyn tried comforting him, while Mabel played with the pig - which she'd told Evelyn was named Waddles.

"Dipper," Evelyn said gently, "things like this happen sometimes. It's natural to not always get the girl, and it's a good experience to learn and grow from."

She knew something like this would happen one day, and though it hurt her to see her brother like this, she wanted him to be able to see the positive side to his situations early on; it was better for him to learn how to move on from heartache than to stick with moping as the solution while he was young.

"There's nothing good about this…" Dipper moaned, staring helplessly at the sky/metal of the ride.

' _ **Pine Tree sure complains a lot,**_ ' Bill mused. ' _ **No wonder Redhead decided to ditch him. If he actually wants anything in his incredibly short existence, he needs to take it.**_ '

'Don't talk about my brother that way!' Evelyn defended. 'He tried to do something nice for Wendy, and I think that it was sweet of him. Wendy would never have been interested if he forced himself into a relationship with her, if they were to ever be one. Dipper handled himself well!'

' _ **And look where that got him!**_ ' Bill exclaimed, sounding both annoyed and amused. ' _ **I'm not saying he needed to force himself on Redhead, Little Bird. EVen you know that he could have made himself a bit more obvious, fought off that pale fleshbag if he really wanted to. He's just weak.**_ '

'He is not!' the teen protested hotly. 'I'd rather be wooed through genuinely nice actions than have someone try to appeal to me through beating up someone else, and I'm sure Wendy would feel the same!'

Bill quieted, and Evelyn felt as though he was mulling something over. Had he actually seen her point for once?

Feeling a bit accomplished over the small victory she felt she'd won, the brunette chose to focus her full attention on the little brother who was currently wallowing in self pity on a cheap carnival game.

As Evelyn ran a hand through her distressed brother's hair to comfort him, a man in in a 'Pizza!' shirt stopped in front of them hesitantly. After a minute of awkwardly waiting in silence he asked, "Uh, are you gonna move?"

Dipper simply let his head hit the metal in defeat, groaning. "Uhhhhh…"

"Aw…" the man, clearly disappointed, lumbered away.

Evelyn gave her brother a lightly chiding look. "Dipper, you know that was rude."

Dipper moaned sadly in response.

Evelyn shot her younger sister a pleading look. Whenever Evelyn couldn't get to Dipper with her comfort and reasoning, she realized that he could sometimes find solace in his twin's surreal and overly-optimistic attitude.

Mabel grinned and nodded, carrying a doctor-costume clad Waddles with her. She waved the pig in his face, trying to get his attention, and said, "Paging Dr. Waddles, we got a boy here with a broken heart." The brunette giggled, but when she failed to elicit a reaction from her twin, she pouted. "Come on, man. These are the jokes."

Dipper sighed and looked pensively at the sky. "Do you two ever wish you could go back and undo just one mistake?"

Mabel responded immediately. "Nope! I do everything right, all the time!"

Evelyn snorted. "That's so far from true, Mabes, and you know it. Everyone makes mistakes."

Mabel shrugged and continued to play with Waddles.

"Evie?" Dipper prompted, his tone hopeless.

The teen looked down thoughtfully for a moment. "...I guess I do. There are definitely a few things I could have avoided doing in hindsight." Evelyn smiled, but it was bittersweet. "Maybe I'd warn myself to not trust someone, or I'd make sure I'd do something better… though honestly I think I'd rather just relive some of my favourite moments instead of changing bad ones."

"Like what?" Dipper asked.

"Like moments where I'd played with you when you were younger." She grinned, and he cracked a tiny smile. "Gosh, you were such a well behaved five year old. Or…" she hummed in thought. "I've always wondered what _I_ was like as a baby. Probably spastic…"

She stared at Dipper with sympathy and curiosity. "Why do you ask?" She saw his shifty gaze and frowned. "Dipper… sometimes a second chance doesn't fix anything."

The last thing Evelyn wanted was for her brother to spend his life mulling over all the things he could have done to make a situation better. She'd done it from time to time, and she knew it was _not_ a way she wanted either of her siblings to live.

Siting up, the boy exhaled sharply. "But it would! I mean, Wendy only went out with Robbie because he was there with the ice, and she needed the ice because of the baseball, and I would've had the ice if it wasn't for…"

He trailed off, his eyes glued to something ahead of them. Evelyn glanced in that direction, and saw a bald man wearing a gray jumpsuit. She would've called him a repairman, what with the tool-belt around his waist, if it weren't for the fact that she knew her uncle would _never_ hire someone to fix anything at the fair. Soos wasn't even allowed to do that.

Dipper apparently recognized him, because he shot forward with a gasp. "...that guy!" He raised his voice as he jumped up and began walking toward the man, his sisters trailing behind him. "Hey, you! Tool-belt! You ruined my life!"

The man backed up slightly, looking at them through thick glasses with fear and confusion. "Huh?"

Dipper was no longer lifeless; he now had a source for his anger, and he let out his emotions without a second thought. "Don't huh me! I've seen you before! What's your deal? Are you following us around?"

"And why are you bald?" Mabel added accusingly, joining her brother in mocking the man, "What's that all about?"

The man was now completely horrified, anxiety flowing off him in waves. "AAAAAGH! MY position has been COMPROMISED! Assuming stealth mode!" He frantically pressed some buttons on a wrist watch, and the three siblings watched in amazement as his jumpsuit changed into different patterns, flashing from forest to pavement to wall. Nothing was blending in, to the man's rising terror.

"Colour match!" He cried. "Initiating colour match! Come on, dang it!"

He took out a red screwdriver and began to fiddle with the watch as he tried to fix the strange device.

"Whoa." Evelyn murmured, staring in awe at the strange suit. She could faintly hear Bill grumbling, but she paid him no mind.

Mabel was equally awestruck. "That's amazing! Are you from the future or something?"

The man blanched. "Uh, NO! Who told you that?! MEMORY WIPE!" With a shriek, he flung something at Mabel's face. Evelyn managed to catch it in time, her body tense at having strange things be thrown at her sister's face.

Mabel pulled Evelyn's hand down to inspect the white cloth, and said blankly. "This is a baby wipe."

The man looked defeated. "All right, you've cornered me. I'm… a time traveler."

The siblings exchanged incredulous looks. A time traveler? Evelyn wasn't quite sure that that was even possible. The man _did_ look unhealthily anxious, and he could be unwell… Even his jumpsuit could be part of his psychotic break.

With that thought in mind, Evelyn slowly gripped her siblings' arms and pulled them slightly behind her.

Dipper peeked around her to stare at the man in open curiosity. "So wait a minute, if you're from the future, do you have like a time machine, or something?"

The man fidgeted, confused. "That's… kinda how it works."

Evelyn watched her brother in puzzlement as he glanced at something farther in front of him, before staring the man down with a determined expression. "Can I borrow it?"

The startled exclamations from both the time traveler and Evelyn echoed in the open space. He wanted to _use_ it? Had the countless sci-fi movies Dipper had made Evelyn watch taught him nothing?!

"Dipper!" she scolded, trying to regroup mentally from her shock.

The time traveler sputtered, shaking his smooth head frantically. His skin gleamed with nervous sweat, and Evelyn had a feeling that if anything else happened within the next few seconds, he'd pass out.

Dipper was unperturbed by their reactions. "Come on, can I use your time machine just once?"

Evelyn knew that this was mostly about him getting a second chance with Wendy - that much was obvious - but she couldn't help but frown at the thought of her brother manipulating Wendy's timeline like that. He should know that he couldn't just change everything to be the way he wanted; it was wrong, not to mention a horrible scapegoat. Yes, she knew something _had_ to be going on with her friend for her to go out with Robbie, but why should the solution be to tamper with her unknowing friends' choices?

The time traveler tried holding his own against the excited 12 year old. "No! Out of the question! You know this is sensitive, extremely complicated time equipment."

The man pulled what looked like an ordinary tape measure out of his tool belt and showed it to the siblings. It was yellow, with a symbol of an hourglass on its sides.

"Okay…" Evelyn began, gently grabbing her siblings as she took a few steps back.

She no longer doubted whether or not this man was telling the truth: he was definitely insane. Though she knew looks could be deceiving, the tool in his hand looked exactly like any other measuring tape she had seen before. Maybe the man before them was just some confused, escapee from an institution?

' _ **I hate to tell you, but that is actually a time machine.**_ ' Bill told her. ' _ **Not as grandiose as you imagined, Little Bird?**_ '

Surprise shot through Evelyn at Bill's words. It was _actually_ a time machine? Where was the flashing lights, the doorway, the semi-sentient alien technology? But as much as her mind was telling her that the man was crazy, she trusted Bill's judgement. He not only knew more than her, but he'd also been the first to tell her when there was danger; why would that change now?

'Not really… it's kind of disappointing.' she hummed, recovering from her shock. It was actually kind of underwhelming; this was the future?

Dipper and Mabel seemed to have had the same conclusion Evelyn had reached earlier, pointing out its unassuming shape skeptically. This led to the bald man telling her brother to shut his 'time mouth'. What, did the future use the word time in everything?

' _ **Humans don't exactly get more creative in the future, Little Bird.**_ ' Bill commented.

'How do you know about the future though?' Evelyn wondered.

' _ **Let's just say Time Baby's goons don't always stick to their own time.**_ '

'Time baby?' the brunette repeated. What on Earth was a 'time baby'?

Dipper leaned towards his sisters. "This making any sense to you?" he asked.

"I think he's just crazy." Mabel whispered in reply.

"Just keep your distance, you two." Evelyn murmured. Real or not, she didn't know if the time traveler was in the right state of mind. The man heard them, and looked insulted. "Oh! You don't believe me?!"

He pulled out the tape measure, studied the number, then let go and… immediately vanished from sight. The siblings stared incredulously as he reappeared a moment later, dressed in old-fashioned clothing. It looked like something King Henry VIII would wear, Evelyn mused as her mind whirled.

The twins gasped, and the man puffed out his chest, seeming pleased at their reactions. "That's right!" he cried. "15 years ago, there was a costume shop right here!" His point proven, he said. "One second." then vanished once more.

He reappeared in his plain jumpsuit, though this time little flames had started on his shoulders. "Ah! Aw, heck! Pat! Pat down!"

Desperately smacking his suit, the man didn't notice the dumbfounded looks he was getting from the siblings. _This_ was humanity's future?

"So, who are you?" Mabel asked.

"Blendin Blandin, Time Anomaly Removal Crew year twenty sñeventy-twelve. My mission is to stop a series of time anomalies that are supposed to happen at this very location!" Blendin explained. His face took on a worried and sickly cast as he continued. "But- but I don't see any other anomalies! I don't know if it's some kind of paradox, or I'm just really tired-"

He moaned, collapsing into the hay behind him. He looked overworked, in Evelyn's opinion. She's always assumed the far future would have solved issues like that.

' _ **You're too optimistic, Little Bird. Humans will never think of the underdog first; it's just how fleshbags work.**_ '

Evelyn unknowingly frowned. 'You're too pessimistic. People can get better, you know.'

' _ **Not in your universe,**_ ' Bill laughed, ' _ **when have you ever seen someone change for the better and stay that way?**_ '

'The twins do it all the time,' she argued, 'they help each other out, put each other first…'

' _ **...And then immediately go back to what they were before.**_ ' Bill continued, his tone smug. ' _ **When has Shooting Star not done the selfish thing first, or Pine Tree decided to**_ _ **not**_ _ **meddle into other people's business?**_ '

'Don't talk about them like that.' Evelyn began to feel a wave of anger, but fought it down. She didn't want to constantly argue with Bill; their arguments were almost always unpleasant, and it was awkward, if he stuck around.

' _ **Fine, but you have to admit that I'm not lying, Little Bird,**_ ' Bill said, ' _ **even you're uncle never changes his behaviour after you teach him something sappy.**_ '

'He's just gruff. He cares about us, I know it - mom even told me about how happy he looked when he held me as a baby.' Evelyn smiled. 'No man who's only interested in cons would react that way.'

' _ **Are you sure he did that, Little Bird? People see what they want to see, especially humans.**_ '

'I'm positive; mom wouldn't tell me something like that unless it actually happened.' Despite her answer, the brunette felt a sliver of doubt. Her mother wasn't the type to sugarcoat most things, but… if she had lied, how would Evelyn ever know?

How could she actually know her mom had been there to witness those moments? She was a busy woman, and she'd not exactly handled post-partum as normally as others…

Evelyn blinked in surprise when she felt a tug on her arm.

"Evie?" Dipper asked, staring at ther in confusion. "You alright? You zoned out there for a bit."

"Have a nice daydream?" Mabel questioned.

"O-oh," Evelyn shook her head, "I was just… thinking about stuff." She looked around for a moment, noticing that something was missing. "...Where's Blendin?"

"We convinced him to go on a ride." Dipper shrugged.

"And now we're going to steal his time-tape!" Mabel exclaimed, fist-pumping the air in her excitement.

"That is _not_ a good idea, you two." Evelyn warned sternly. "Don't you know how tricky time travel could be? And it's not fair to meddle with people's lives like this. "She paused, remembering what Bill had said about change. "You guys have learnt from your past experiences when it comes to messing with things out of our control… right?"

There was a pregnant pause as the twins contemplated her words.

Mabel was the first to break the silence. "Nope!"

She ran away giggling, seemingly excited to commit the theft. Dipper waited a moment larger, seeing the indignant cry forming on his elder sister's lips, and added, "Look Evie, it's for a good cause, and did you _see_ Blendin? If a weird guy like him can use time travel without a problem, why shouldn't we?"

He ran off immediately after, knowing that if he didn't she would hold him back and scold him until he gave up on his plans.

"Wha-ugh, Dipper!" Evelyn yelled after him, her frustration threatening to spill over. They were really going to do this? Did they not see the splotches of flame on Blendin's suit when he'd travelled? They knew nothing about how it worked! Had she really raised them to be so irresponsible?

' _ **I told you, Little Bird.**_ ' Bill practically sang.

'Oh, be quiet, Bill.' Evelyn growled, chasing after her siblings.

By the time she reached them, they'd situated themselves around the table in the living room of the Shack, and had already taken Blendin's Time-Tape and were examining it.

"You two need to put that down, right now!" Evelyn ordered the moment she stopped moving.

Mabel scrunched her nose, wanting to hold onto the item, but felt the need to obey her sister. She clutched the device tightly to her, and levelled a pleading look at her sister."Come on, Evie! We're not doing anything bad; we're just fixing a mistake. We'll be really quick!"

"Don't you want me to be happy, Evie?" Dipper added.

Evelyn registered the flash of regret on his face the moment he said it. They were both aware that that was a low blow; he knew how much she valued their happiness - she told them almost every day. The fact that he was using that against her was clearly manipulative...However, the mere thought of him thinking otherwise made her heart hurt as his words managed to fill her with guilt. She'd always just assumed Dipper would never end up with Wendy, and never even gave him the benefit of the doubt, when she should have been on his side...

What really was the harm in letting them do this, just this once? If it didn't work out, they would at least learn a lesson…

Letting out a breath, Evelyn leaned against the table and put one hand on her necklace, feeling a warm thrum go through it as she felt a bit of comfort.

"...Of course I want you to be happy, Dipper." She said resignedly, running a hand through her hair to lessen her frustration and guilt. "But this isn't right, you know that."

"Just let us try," Dipper pleaded, " _please_ , Evie."

"And of course you'd come with us!" Mabel pointed out. "That way you can make sure we don't do something we're not supposed to!" Dipper nodded vigorously.

' _ **Geez, they never stop asking from you, do they?**_ ' Bill noted, his tone distasteful.

'But if I go along…' she thought. If she went along, she could make sure that they didn't make the wrong decision. It… wasn't foolproof, and they could still make a horrible mistake, but… maybe she could keep them safe, and stop them from causing trouble.

Bill groaned. ' _ **Oh, don't tell me they got you to go along with their dumb plan, Little Bird.**_ '

She ignored him, focusing on the twins. "...Fine."

They both cheered, but she added, "I'm only giving you a few tries though."

"That's already taken care of, Evie." Dipper explained. "The Time-Tape has this number on it; Mabel and I think it's the amount of times you can travel in time."

"And Dipper already told me we can't go back in time and force two dodos to kiss, so I'll just be there be moral support and to relive winning Waddles!" Mabel smiled brightly.

Seeing Evelyn's hesitant look, Dipper said, "I'm just going to be more careful with where I throw, and then Wendy won't end up with Robbie. It won't take up that much time."

"We'll even let you travel somewhere first!" Mabel exclaimed. "Dipper and I both get something out of it, so it's only fair you get something too!"

"That's nice of you, Mabes." Evelyn blinked. She was still feeling an overwhelming wave of mixed emotions, and she wasn't quite sure she was fully processing the situation.

"So where would you want to go?" Dipper asked. He wasn't in too much of a rush; he now had a time machine, and it wasn't like he'd need more than one more attempt to not hit Wendy. It _had_ been a fluke the first time, after all.

"Oh, um…" The brunette thought it over for a minute. If she was actually going to let them do this, where would she want to go? The device seemed to be able to only travel through time, not space, so she couldn't visit Ancient Rome or see Shakespeare…

That's when an idea flickered to life. If she could visit the house in a different time period…

"I'd like to see the first time Grunkle Stan saw me." Evelyn murmured. "Mom said she'd brought me here when I was a few months old to meet my great uncle."

She'd prove once and for all whether her mother's story was true… or if she'd lied to her daughter's face. She really hoped that it was the former.

"Alright! When would that be?" Dipper asked, making calculations in his head.

"Seventeen years and… four months, I think?" The teen suggested.

Dipper worked at the calculations, tweaked them, then got the tape ready. He glanced one last time at Waddles and said, "See you later."

"See you earlier!" Mabel laughed.

Dipper released the tape and turned to give his sisters a high five _._ Just as their hands touched, they vanished in a bright light.

-DaLD-

They reappeared a moment later in a flash, and found themselves in the same spot they left. The Shack's living room looked the same, except for the larger stack of magazines on the side table, the slightly more youthful appearance of the furniture and… the fact that everything was impeccably clean.

All of the fake oddities were gone, though Evelyn could still see the hooks in place. Why had her uncle hidden his things? He was usually proud of his weird items….

The ringing of the doorbell caused them all to jump, and the following footsteps from the stairs caused the siblings to scatter. Evelyn hid behind the loveseat, while Dipper crouched underneath the table, and Mabel closed herself in a chest.

Evelyn peeked around her hiding spot to watch her uncle, now a slightly younger man with brown hair that was peppered with gray, scramble over to the door. He was wearing a dress shirt and black pants, and as he reached the door he frantically patted down any unruly hairs. Taking a deep breath, he opened the door and greeted whoever was outside.

The brunette froze when she heard her parents' voices. This was it… they got the right time!

She waited eagerly as her uncle invited them inside. They would walk in, and she would see them introduce her to his uncle, and she'd get to prove to Bill and herself that her mom was right - her mother hadn't lied!

Her grin slipped as she watched the puzzled expression on her great uncle's face, as he held out his arms to receive a bundle and she heard her parents say something about coming back in thirty minutes to the man that now stood somewhat stiffly on the doorstep.

He closed the door a minute later, now with a baby in a bundle and a small bag in his possession. Dumbfounded, he dropped the bag in the living room and collapsed in his chair slowly, looking painfully aware of the tiny, breathing bundle in his arms.

Evelyn moved her body haltingly so that she could see what was happening in the chair without getting caught, and froze when she saw her baby self.

The baby's eyes were closed as she slept soundly, a small bubble of spit resting on her tiny lips. Her cheeks were round, and her head had wisps of brown hair that were beginning to grow, and were longer than the photos the teen had seen of herself from when she'd just been born.

She could tell that her uncle was observing the baby too, as his arms were shaking from how still he was.

"Hey, kid." He began gruffly, his voice trembling slightly. "Welcome to the Pines family."

Little Evelyn let out a tiny yawn as she stirred, letting out a contented gurgle in her cosy blanket.

'Aw, she looks like Mabel when she was a baby.' Evelyn thought.

' _ **At least that's changed.**_ ' Bill joked.' _ **You seem to be a pretty happy human bread-roll, Little Bird.**_ '

'Jee, thanks Bill.' Evelyn thought, sarcasm dripping from every syllable. Though his comment had been pretty rude, Evelyn could feel Bill's interest in her infant self as well while she continued watching her history unfolding before her.

It was at that moment that little Evelyn opened her eyes, her red gaze focused inquisitively in the man holding her. She looked as though she was trying to figure out whether she should begin crying at the unfamiliar face, or just observe. Evelyn heard her uncle choke on his breath, and she prepared herself. What would he say?

Stan remained quiet for a moment, and Evelyn risked getting caught to sneak a look at his expression. His face seemed frozen in surprise, and his eyes churned with emotions she couldn't place.

"...Looks like freakishness runs in the family, huh kid?" Her uncle let out a weak chuckle, lifting one hand to rest on her smooth head. "It suits you; gives you more character than those poster babies out there."

The baby let out a giggle, and one tiny fist wrestled its way out of the folds of the blanket to tap his hand in delight.

Stan moved his hand in surprise, seemingly not having expected the baby to try and touch him. Still, little Evelyn persisted, her little hand reaching for him.

Her uncle slowly lowered his hand as he stared at her in curiosity and wonder. Once he was close enough, the baby grabbed hold of his thumb and didn't budge. It looked like it wasn't the most comfortable position, but he couldn't seem to bring himself to move.

Evelyn felt a lump form in her throat as she watched the way her uncle stared at her baby self. When she'd imagined this moment in her mind, it had never quite gone down as it had. She'd always imagined that she would have been in her mother's lap, and that they'd talk through the reveal of her eye colour to Grunkle Stan, but this… she couldn't help but treasure this more, despite the sting she felt from her parents not being there.

As she stared intently from her hiding spot, her red orbs met their much younger counterparts, and Evelyn froze. Her own eyes stared at her with the blind curiosity that came with innocence, and it felt almost surreal that she was meeting her younger self. This technically meant that she had met her future self when she was a baby, and couldn't remember it…

Ignoring the deep implications of what was happening, Evelyn smiled at her younger self, causing the baby to let out a delighted gurgle.

A few minutes later, Evelyn's legs were beginning to cramp in their crouching position, and she desperately wanted to move, but was too scared to. She didn't know how she'd explain herself if her uncle happened to look behind his chair. Even though she wanted to stay and continue to watch her uncle bond with her baby self, she knew she had to think of what could happen if she or her siblings were found by her uncle. Whatever situation that would lead to, she doubted it would be good.

It was at that moment that Evelyn spotted a forgotten watch. It was lying on the ground barely a foot from her, and an idea began to form. If she could reach it and throw it far enough away to distract Stan, she could get the twins out. The longer they stayed, the higher the likelihood that they get caught.

Moving as slowly and as quietly as possible, Evelyn reached out and clasped the watch in her hands. She got ready to throw, knowing that she couldn't screw up - if she did, it was unlikely she'd have another shot.

With a well-practiced flick of the wrist (thank you pinecone-tossing), she managed to angle her throw so that the watch went flying around the corner, landing with a satisfying thud.

Little Evelyn started at the sound, and tears welled up as she began to sniffle. Seeing the impending crisis, her uncle tried rocking her as he got up to see what had caused the sound. If she hadn't been hiding, Evelyn would have laughed at the image of her semi-frantic uncle trying to calm her.

The moment he disappeared around the corner, the red-eyed teen came out of her hiding place, Dipper following suit. They rushed over to Mabel's spot and let her out, all of them remaining silent as Dipper got the Time-Tape ready. Just as Stan's footsteps made their way back to the room, with him grumbling about an old house, the siblings took each other's hands and disappeared in a flash of light.

-DaLD-

The trio appeared in their version of the Shack, just before noon of that day. Dipper's hat was on fire, but after a few frantic pats from both him and Evelyn, the three were ready to go through with their plan.

"Little you was _soo_ cute, Evie!" Mabel squealed. She took her sister's hand and used it to propel herself into orbit around the older brunette, practically buzzing with energy.

"Yeah, I never knew Grunkle Stan could be so… nice." Dipper added. "He's always seemed like someone who hated babies."

Evelyn smiled, still feeling warm at the new memory. "Well, he still seemed uncomfortable, but I guess he used to be better with kids."

"So you're happy with your trip?" asked Dipper.

"Yeah."

"Alright then, onto our mission!" Mabel cheered, rushing for the door.

Dipper grinned. "C'mon, Evie. this should only take a few minutes, and then it'll be like the whole Robbie thing never happened!"

Evelyn sighed, but smiled back. "Then let's go rewrite time, Dip."

The two ran outside and stopped to watch as the day they just lived through started again. It was the strangest thing; suddenly everything had become a deja-vu moment. Evelyn wasn't sure how she felt about time travel…

"Do-over?" Dipper asked his sisters as they joined the wayward twin.

"Do-over!" Mabel confirmed, and the two rushed of to their places. Evelyn shook her head, but went back to the stand she'd played at earlier; she might as well give them their celebratory stuffies once everything was over.

She got into line and saw the same girl as before. The teen met Evelyn's eyes, and after a moment of staring, she gave her a friendly smile. Evelyn smiled back , before turning her focus to her brother. Wendy was once again staring at the tourist girl, and Evelyn couldn't help but feel concerned for her friend; why was she acting like that?

The brunette turned her focus to the blonde girl in line before her as she started her abysmal attempts at hitting the balloons, and this time Evelyn couldn't withhold a light snicker. It was unlike her to openly tease strangers, but there was something familiar enough about the other tenn that she did feel self-conscious about her reaction.

The blonde gave her an embarrassed and jokingly angry look, and threw her last dart, narrowly missing the carnie.

"Eep!" the blonde gasped, and after apologizing profusely to the startled employee, she gave the still - snickering brunette a playful glare. "Oh, stop it, you."

Evelyn did her best to muffle her laughter. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

The blonde gave the brunette one last amiable smile, before allowing Evelyn to take her spot by the darts. With a friendly wave, she left.

Evelyn once again played and won the two stuffies, though the booming music the carnie was playing caused her ears to feel as though they'll never stop wringing. She met up with Mabel and Waddles shortly after, only to have Dipper join them a minute later in distress.

The worried preteen recounted the events that had reoccurred, even though he'd thought he'd done it right.

"...The exact same thing happened twice; it was spooky."

' _ **Well, Pine Tree is dumber than he looks if he thinks that he can change one event in time and not something else,**_ ' Bill drawled. ' _ **Time doesn't work that way.**_ '

'Why?" Evelyn questioned.

' _ **All events in time have levels of importance; the higher the level, the more changes need to be made for time to support the single events' alteration.**_

' _ **There's that, or,**_ ' Bill's tone become more lilting, ' _ **you just channel the fracture in time and create a weapon of mass destruction!**_ '

Evelyn sighed. She couldn't tell if he was just joking and trying to rile her up (something he did too often), or he was being serious…

She hoped it was the former.

Using the knowledge that Bill had just shared, the brunette began gently, "I don't know, Dipper… maybe this is an event in time that can't be easily changed without a consequence."

Mabel simply continued to cuddle Waddles at the information, but Dipper mulled over Evelyn's suggestion. "That could be it, Evie… the forces of time could be naturally conspiring to undo any new outcomes… but that would mean what I'm trying to do would be impossible." He looked troubled, but quickly shook it off and gave his sister a determined and confident smile. "Nah, I just need to try again. Third time's the charm!"

Evelyn was beginning to feel uneasy. "Dipper, we really shouldn't be messing with time."

"Only one or two more tries, Evie, I promise! Everything will work out fine!"

"Yeah, Evie, how hard could it be?" Mabel grinned.

-DaLD-

They did _ten_ more tries.

After the first one, Evelyn had stopped going to the balloon dart game, remembering what Bill had said about multiple changes needing to be made to alter an event, and hoped that it would be enough of a change to help her brother. It didn't seem to make a difference. Wendy always ended up with Robbie, and Dipper always came back to her begging for another chance.

She'd tried putting her foot down early on, knowing that they'd agreed to only a few tries, as the time-tape only had so many turns, but Dipper would promise 'one last try'. After hearing that twice, her brother changed tactics, explaining how unhealthy a relationship with Robbie would be for Wendy, and Evelyn couldn't disagree.

Robbie needed constant validation and attention, but Wendy was too independent to be willingly tied down to anyone, least of all Robbie. Not to mention that Wendy needed to be with someone who was a better influence. Her past boyfriends were all way too clingy or just undesirable, at least according to the redhead, and Evelyn couldn't see how Robbie would be any different to her.

With these thoughts in mind, she'd reluctantly let her brother continue.

She'd taken the chance that multiple trips into the past had given her, and watched Wendy closely as Dipper's doomed date repeated itself.

Evelyn observed as Wendy was distracted each time by the tourist girl, before seeming to panic and turn away. It was as though she was terrified of the other girl, for some strange reason… maybe she was frightened by the girl's excitement for Stan's clearly dangerous fair?

What worried her even more was the uncertainty on her friend's face for a split second before she said yes to Robbie. Evelyn hated the idea of her friend going out the with Robbie because she felt pressured to be with him; they'd been close friends, and she could only imagine what rejecting him would do to that relationship.

Despite her observations, the brunette was no less anxious to return to their present as she stood impatiently by a popcorn machine where her younger brother was inscribing math equations.

"...I just though the wind speed…" Dipper mumbled feverishly, scribbling nearly unintelligible formulas. "...factoring cotton candy…"

Evelyn quietly sighed while Mabel knitted beside Waddles on barrels of hay. The younger sister seemed to share the older's sentiments, as she piped up, "Face it, Dipper, you're obviously fated to have a bad day at the fair, just like I'm fated to be with Waddles."

She flashed the small sweater she was busily creating, and Evelyn couldn't help but smile. Her sister was absolutely adorable sometimes, even though her empathic timing could be better.

"Like there's one variable missing…" Dipper ignored his sisters as he stared intently at his formula, the cogs in his brains turning as quickly as they could. There had to be a component that wasn't there…

"What's a variable?" Mabel questioned.

"It's an element in an equation that isn't known, or is changeable, Mabes." Evelyn explained. Her brow furrowed. "I've never been great with those…"

Dipper froze as he stared at his sisters, struck by an epiphany. He gazed at them in excitement, almost buzzing as he figured out _exactly_ what variable was needed.

"That's it! I've figured out how to win the toss, not hit Wendy's eye, and stop Wendy and Robbie from going out!"

"That's great, Dip!" Evelyn congratulated, though she was confused about his current shift in behaviour.

Mabel agreed with her sister's praise, before beginning to move away. "Great! I'm gonna go win my pig again."

Dipper shook his head frantically. "Whoa, whoa, you can't leave. I need you for my plan!"

"What about Waddles?"

Sensing the potential for an all out sibling war - they cared way too much about having things their way sometimes - Evelyn put her hands up in a placating gesture. "How about you use me for this plan, Dip? That way Mabel can get her pig, and I can help you stop Robbie and Wendy from becoming a couple."

Dipper paused for a moment, before nodding slowly. "That could work…"

"Whoo!" Mabel cheered. "Alright Waddles, here I come!"

The two siblings watched as the excitable girl ran off, before turning to each other. Evelyn was still in the dark about what her brother was planning, but she was hopeful that it would _not_ somehow include something painful or dangerous…

' _ **You know, hope is one of the most useless feelings, right Little Bird?**_ ' Bill complained. ' _ **There's a reason you humans have philosophical debates on the evils of it. All it does is make you stupidly blind until the metaphorical bullet is halfway between your eyes.**_ '

Evelyn wrinkled her nose at his dark metaphor. 'I think I disagree with you, Bill. Hope is what helps people. It gives you something to look to when you're in your darkest times.'

' _ **So do cults.**_ ' Bill snarked.

'What do you have against hope?' Evelyn sighed. Sometimes, she wondered why she tolerated him the way she did.

' _ **I just don't want to see you make the same mistakes every other fleshbag does when it comes to hope,**_ ' Bill explained. He sounded annoyed yet sincere. ' _ **You have a small possibility of being a human with passable intellect, and who knows, maybe I'll let you in on some trade secrets one day? But if you rely too much on a feeling without anything to back it up, one day you'll find yourself six feet under in a hole you dug for yourself, Little Bird.**_ '

Evelyn didn't know how to respond to his bleak comment, so she didn't. Instead, she chose to focus once more on her brother as he turned to the equation and added a few scribbles.

"So, what do you want me to do?" Evelyn asked.

Dipper gestured her over with a wide smile, and began to explain his plan for a perfect date.

-DaLD-

As Evelyn waited patiently on the roof for a sign of the ball her brother would toss, she couldn't help but admire Dipper's ingenuity, though it was a misguided use of it. She could already tell he'd be a hundred times better than she was in school, even though she didn't do terribly herself. She'd hate to see her brother toss aside an amazing life to pursue short-term goals like he was currently prone to doing, though.

But, she supposed only time could tell where Dipper would go, and even though she now had access to it, the brunette had no desire to see her brother's future. Sometimes it was best to leave things be.

' _ **Your devotion to those kids is a bit intense, Little Bird,**_ ' Bill noted, ' _ **don't you want to do anything for yourself?**_ '

Evelyn shrugged. 'Sure I do. I want to travel, to go to university, to experience new things…'

' _ **So?**_ ' Bill prompted.

'So what?'

' _ **Why aren't you doing these things?**_ '

'Well, other than the fact that I still need to finish high school to go to university, travelling costs a lot of money.' Evelyn explained. 'Plus my siblings need me right now. They're transitioning out of elementary school, and who knows when puberty is going to strike. I need to be there for them.'

' _ **And when will you be there for yourself?**_ ' Bill asked pointedly.

Evelyn paused, but her musings were forced to end as the telltale sound of whistling air let her know that the ball was coming close to her. She waited for the ball to land on the inner pipe before lifting it up, sending it hurtling towards her uncle's fixed dunk tank target.

It bounced off as it should, but before the teen could pat herself on the back, a young man with a large instrument case walked into the path of the ball. From there it hit his case, ricocheted off a post, and landed on Wendy's eye.

Both siblings let out a dismayed cry as the redhead clutched her bruised eye, both concerned and frustrated. It should have worked!

' _ **Actually, Pine Tree's formula was wrong from the start.**_ ' Bill commented airily. ' _ **A million things would have gone wrong.**_ '

'Why didn't you tell me this?!' The teen exclaimed. 'I wanted to get this over with, not to mention I hate continuously having my friend get hit in the eye.'

' _ **What, I would tell you what was wrong and you'd you fix the formula?**_ ' Bill said sarcastically. ' _ **Pine Tree know you're not the best at equations, so what would he say when you'd write down a formula that's meant for people decades older than you?**_

' _ **We already have Redhead in on your secret, Little Bird, and the last thing we need is your family finding out. I'll step in to stop you from dying a stupid death, but I'm not Pine Tree's personal calculator.**_ '

As much as it frustrated Evelyn, she could see that Bill was right. If the twins found out, she knew that they would want to do as much as possible to make sure she was alright, and she couldn't help but remember Bill's warning about danger. She knew that Wendy could take care of herself, but the twins? They'd run headfirst into dangers' open arms without even realising it.

With these thoughts in mind, she climbed down from her spot on the roof and joined Dipper as he ranted. They were eventually joined by Mabel and Waddles.

"Mabel, I really need your help for this one. Evie and I were _so_ close, but some guy got in the way at the last second. I can send Evie in to distract him, but someone needs to hold up the pipe."

"What? Why do I have to be the one to distract him?" Evelyn demanded. "You didn't ask me to do this, Dipper."

"But you'd be better at tackling him!" Dipper protested.

"Whoa, I'm not tackling some random guy!" Evelyn exclaimed.

"Please Evie, just distract him. This will be our last jump, I promise." Dipper pleaded.

"But what about winning Waddles?" Mabel asked.

"You can do that right after, Mabel." Dipper smiled. "It'll just take a few minutes. And you get to experience winning Waddles one last time before everything is over!"

Both sisters exchanged wary looks before nodding and moving toward Dipper. A moment later, no trace of them having been there existed at all, except for the confused grunts of Waddles.

-DaLD-

Evelyn did not agree with Dipper's plan. She refused to just tackle a stranger out of nowhere, no matter what Dipper asked.

Instead, she would try to talk with him.

Bill grumbled at the plan, but Evelyn ignored him as she hunted down her target.

He was harder to catch than she thought he'd be. It was as though each time she found an opening to approach him something or somebody was in the way. She nearly tripped on a banana peel at one point! It almost felt as though time was against her.

Still, she tried as hard as she could to get everything to work for Dipper. The sooner they got this over with, the sooner Evelyn could finally settle into one timeline and not have to relive the same hour, something she had grown tired of. As it crept closer to the minute she needed to pull the boy away from the path of the ball, however, the more frantic she became.

He didn't seem to notice her at all, no matter how many times she yelled to catch his attention, or blatantly followed him around. He was completely oblivious to it, and it was so frustrating that she nearly screamed to get him to notice her. She would _not_ let her brother down, no matter how annoying he was currently being.

Suddenly, she heard the caw Mabel said would be her signal for when the ball would be near the roof, and the boy began to move forward, interested in a cheap display.

There was an opening. She couldn't hear the ball over all the noise the people around her were making, and she didn't have enough time to talk him out of the situation, but she knew she only had one shot.

So she jumped.

The force of her colliding with the other teen made both of them get the winds knocked out of them as they fell to the ground. As the dust settled, all that could be heard were their pained and startled grunts and groans.

Evelyn's face was on fire as she gasped for breath, her mortification nearly crippling her as she made eye contact with the startled boy beneath her.

"I-I'm so sorry…" she began, uncertain.

The boy winced as he caught his breath, but attempted to smile. "It-It's fine. Accidents happen, right?"

Evelyn winced with guilt. The boy couldn't have been much older than her, with dark hair and a splash of darker freckles that stood out his light hazel eyes. He looked like a nice guy, which made her feel even worse.

At that moment, Evelyn became aware of Bill's anger. ' _ **Get his hands off you right now, Little Bird.**_ '

She hadn't even noticed that he had been touching her, and tried to focus on any physical contact past the very recent tackle. Sure enough, he did have his hands on her, probably from instinctually grabbing onto something as he fell. His hands weren't even in a compromising place - they rested on her shoulders, in a somewhat tight grip - but Evelyn scrambled off of him, choosing to sit on the ground.

The boy sat up and pulled his instrument case from its place on his back, wincing as he did so. It had no doubt hurt his back, but he only seemed concerned in checking the contents of the case itself.

"I'm re-really sorry." Evelyn said mournfully. "Are you and your instrument alright?"

He looked back up at her and smiled. "I'm good, and my flute's alright, don't worry. It can take some damage. What about you?"

"I'm fine." Evelyn said quickly.

The boy grinned and carefully stood up, offering his hand.

Ignoring Bill's loud and angry complaints, she took the boy's hand and sheepishly allowed him to help her up. The brunette glanced to the side, and was grateful to see her brother standing smuggly in front of a sad looking Robbie.

It had worked.

She turned to the boy in front of her and apologized once more, before coming up with an excuse to leave. He took it well, and gave her a friendly wave before they went their separate ways.

Evelyn slowly walked toward her brother, giving him a smile and a thumbs up as Wendy's back was turned. Feeling relaxed, the brunette sat down on a bench nearby. It was over, finally, and she could stay in one time zone. She only hoped that Dipper would give back that stupid time machine to its owner; she didn't want him believing that everything could be solved by cheating time. There had to be consequences sometimes, and it was best if her siblings learnt to deal with them.

A steady shriek erupted from behind her, and before Evelyn could blink, a small blur ran by, screaming wildly. Evelyn recognized that blur - it was Mabel. But what was wrong?

Her sisterly instincts kicking in, she ran forward as quickly as she could, following her sister as she reached the Tunnel of Love and Corndogs. Dipper and Wendy were just exiting it, with the older redhead running to a stand, chanting 'funnel cakes!' when Mabel reached him. Evelyn was in hot pursuit.

Dipper paused to find the source of the screaming, and stared at his twin, startled, when she stopped in front of him and continued to scream.

"Mabel, what's-" Evelyn began, but Mabel drowned out her question with screams.

"What's-" Dipper tried, but Mabel continued to scream.

"Mabel, I'm warning you-" Evelyn half-heartedly threatened. Her nerves were frazzled from her concern for her sister, and she would not let Mabel's near tantrum stop her from getting answers. What if she was hurt?

The girl continued to scream. Dipper, channeling his 'inner Evie', said calmly, "I'll just wait until you're done."

Evelyn used to do that occasionally when the twins got older and would throw tantrums to get their way. At first she'd try to placate them, but eventually she seemed to realize that they were playing her, and decided that she'd had enough. He remembered being six and having a tantrum with Mabel, but for once Evelyn hadn't intervened. She'd folded her prepubescent arms and told them sternly that she'd wait for them to finish.

He remembered it so vividly because it was one of the first times his sister hadn't been there to comfort him; it had been…. A strange experience.

Sure enough, the trick worked, and Mabel calmed down. "I'm done."

Dipper sighed in relief. "Okay, what is wrong?"

Mabel began to panic once more. To comfort her, Evelyn placed her hand on her sister's shoulder, and the younger girl felt a bit better as she explained. "We messed up the timeline! Pacifica saw the flyer and won Waddles before I did! She TOOK Waddles, Dipper!" She looked at her twin pleadingly, then glanced up at her sister. "She took my best friend!"

Evelyn wasn't exactly happy that Mabel had gotten a pig, especially since she didn't know if Mabel would stay interested and care for it, but she hated seeing her sister hurt, emotionally or physically. At the worst, she could have just returned the pig to the farm if Mabel lost interest, but she knew her sister would have trouble recovering if her pet was torn away from her right after she got it.

"Oh, Mabel." She knelt down to give her sister a hug. Mabel returned it with a sniffle.

"Mabel, I'm sorry." Dipper said sincerely.

The young girl nodded and, letting go of her sister, said hopefully, "It's okay. We just need to go back," she snatched the time machine from her brother before he could react, "and do things differently."

Dipper looked panicked, and tried taking the tape back. "Mabel! Wait." He took it back, holding it protectively. "Look, I did the math. In any other timeline, Wendy ends up going out with Robbie. I can't mess up this day again!"

 _Events in time can't be changed without consequences._

' _ **I told you, Little Bird.**_ ' Bill said softly.

"Guys, let's sit down for a second and talk this out-" Evelyn began, knowing that this could go very, _very_ wrong.

Mabel ignored her, yelling, "But if we don't go, I'll lose Waddles forever!"

The two scrambled to pull the time machine from one another, and Evelyn tried to split them apart, her heart beating rapidly. If the twins played with a time machine, who knows what could happen-

One twin accidentally pushed a button on the machine, forcing them to disappear from the time they were in.

-DaLD-

The siblings found themselves in what was either the far future or an alien planet. There was debris everywhere as the city around them stood partially destroyed, and two moons hung ominously in a dark sky.

"What did you two push?!" Evelyn exclaimed. Who knew where they were, or if this time period was dangerous!

' _ **It is, Little Bird,**_ ' Bill warned, ' _ **can't you feel it?**_ '

Evelyn could feel it. The ground trembled as blasts sounded in the distance, and the cries of men echoed in the apocalyptic landscape.

"We are getting out of here, right now!" The brunette ordered, holding her siblings shoulders as she waited for the oncoming danger.

Dipper frantically looked over the time machine, and was just about to pull the tape measure when a blast erupted near them, forcing the three to go flying through the air into more debris.

Evelyn saw only spots for a moment, before managing to focus on her siblings and Bill's urgent voice.

They were both fine, but the end of the tape measure was stuck, stretching it out farther than they'd ever put it. Mabel was trying to move the rubble as Dipper held the machine, hoping they could salvage their device.

The teen moved to help them when something on her caught onto the metal sheet she'd landed on. She tried twisting her head to see if her shirt was stuck, but she couldn't move properly, as whatever was holding her was keeping her from turning.

She tried wiggling out as her siblings made frantic sounds and the blasts got closer, but she wasn't was sure how hard she'd need to pull to be free. Whatever was held by the metal would need to be broken off to escape.

"Evie, hurry! We've almost got it out, you need to hold onto us!"Dipper cried. Mabel had joined him and they both held the box, using their combined strength to pull.

Seeing the tape measure wiggle as it became loose, Evelyn used all the strength she had to push off the metal and the sound of ripping fabric and something snapping echoed in her ears. She dove for her siblings just in time, holding them as they were enveloped in a glow as the tape measure returned to the machine.

She never noticed the glint of gold as a necklace hung from the piece of metal she'd been trapped on, the chain broken. The pendant shaped like a triangle with a silhouette of a bird carve in the center glimmered in the flashes of the bright blue blasts.

 **-DaLD-**

 **Hey guys! I'm back! I've seen all your messages, and no, I'm not dead, just recovering from an intense semester. I've also been working to save up for a big trip, so there's that. But I've been working in my spare time on this, and am halfway done the next chapter, so that'll be out soon!**

 **I'm going to have a serious moment here: I know I haven't been around for a while, and believe me, it's made me feel both guilty and disappointed. Writing makes me so happy, and having your feedback only fuels my desire to write even more. I've just been trying my best to succeed in school, and I'm happy to say that I've passed my semester with mostly nineties (low to high)! I hope you all know how much you guys mean to me, and that I'd update every day if I could. I hope you guys can bear with me and my breaks between updates, though I'll try my best to manage that. Thank you all for sticking around for so long!**

 **Merry Christmas, to those who celebrate it, and Happy Holidays! Consider this my gift and apology all in one; I hope this chapter was worth the wait! I've set up several things in this chapter, and I am very excited to follow those plot threads to the end.**

 **I brushed up on Evie's mom, but there will be plenty more going on there in the future! Just remember that not everything is black and white…**

 **Onto reviews!**

 **To LumpyApple: I'm glad you're enjoying it! And I love lovestruck-Dipper too! It's definitely fun to write him like that through Evelyn's sisterly perspective.**

 **selenastarsparrow1230: Unfortunately, I'm not planning on having them officially meet face to face until the final episodes of Season 1, like in the show. But who knows, sometimes writing leads me down roads I hadn't thought to explore…**

 **SolangeloUniverse: I'm glad that you like this chapter! It's a bit of a pain to write, since time travel's a tricky subject and plot holes are incredibly easy to make, but it's still a great episode as a whole, and I like incorporating Evie into it!**

 **lunamoon531: Your wish is my command! I'll try to add more Bill commentary, though sometimes it's hard for me to carry the plot and have conversations between the couple at the same time. She'd be staring into space constantly if I put all the dialogue I wanted in!**

 **Berrybanana05: You're right, if he wants her to trust him, he'll definitely need to cool down!**

 **AngelPines: Thank you so much for understanding! You don't understand how much it means to me; I really want to be able to make more content for all of you, but it gets hard to balance school, work and leisure sometimes.**

 **starrat: Thank you!**

 **Moon ninja Luna: I love that you read this story during work breaks! I know how precious those are, and it means a lot to me! You're very spot on with some of your observations… and the Robbie episode will definitely be interesting!**

 **Luna Latanya: Thank you! I try to make him as interesting as possible, as well as be in character.**

 **Fantasy Fan 223: I like the way you think! Only time will tell if you're right, though… And I saw It while it was in theatre, and it was great! It was a good balance of scary and funny.**

 **redvintage888: Thank you for sticking with me and your continued support! I've gone through the reviews, and I appreciate you speaking out on my behalf. I hope you see this story through to the end! And I think the As you sent worked wonders for me! :)**

 **Guest: Yes, I mentioned that Evie had read through the Journal, but I specified that she hadn't read to the end. She never reached the part with Bill, and since she doesn't talk about him, Dipper won't think to check for answers in the Journal. It's anyone's guess how long that will last, though…**

 **formerEMObillc: I did, but nothing seemed to work. I'll try again, but if you manage to get an account up, let me know!**

 **Alextisgr8: Yeah, I wish the Robbie thing never happened, but it's important for the future plot, and I promise it will yield a fruitful and (hopefully) great conclusion! And thank you! I tried to flesh them out as best as I could.**

 **Fredle Dinks: I'd love to post the links, but I can't even get into my Quotev account right now. If it helps, it was under the name Aria Winchester.**

 **Dragongirl1806: Don't worry, I always love reading your shorts! And Calla will be making a return within the next week; I may or may not have a nearly completed and corrected chapter just waiting to be uploaded… :)**

 **Nina Everblade: Thanks for your concern! If any aliens abducted me, they must have wiped away the memory and then given me a huge workload. :) I'm back, and all is well at the moment.**

 **Stacked Waters: Yeah, I know the struggle of affording trips with school going on. I only managed to get involved in the trip because of the fundraisers for it. But don't lose hope! There will always be an opportunity to travel, you just need to take it!**

 **Guest: Nope, not abandoned, just seriously delayed. :)**

 **sweetpye: I'm happy you found this story! It always makes my day when people enjoy it. :)**

 **Guest: I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

 **Yfii: I think I decoded it! It took longer than I'd like to admit…**

 **Alright, that's all for reviews! Thank you all for being so patient with me, and please excuse any spelling mistakes that I might have missed while editing! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and I'll see you in the next one! No flames, please! -Aria**

 **I don't own Gravity Falls.**


	34. Chapter XXXIII: TTTP (part 3)

The moment Evelyn's feet touched the new ground, she knew something was wrong.

There was a strange feeling of emptiness, as though something that had been holding her together had disappeared… but what _was_ it?

' _ **Little Bird… what did you do?!**_ ' Bill yelled hoarsely. His voice sounded different… quieter, as though she was hearing him inside a tunnel.

'What's… what's wrong?' Evelyn had never felt so shaky. Maybe it was hearing the tinge of fear in Bill's tone, or the feeling of loss, but her body was reacting to whatever was happening.

' _ **Where is the necklace?!**_ '

Her breath caught in her throat as her hand felt her collar bone, but the familiar weight of the necklace was gone.

'Where did it go?!' Evelyn felt confusingly panicked. How had she not noticed that it was missing immediately? She never took it off!

' _ **How could you lose it?! Little Bird, do you even know what that necklace means?**_ '

'Wh-oh, no. It's our link...' she realized, her voice faint.

Bill seemed to take a deep breath before explaining, ' _ **The necklace lets us communicate in your mind. Without it, I can't be here. I'll be trapped and you'll…**_ '

'Be alone?' she whispered.

Evelyn didn't know what to think about it. A few weeks ago, she'd have likely been fine with Bill not being in her mind, but now? She'd grown so used to him…

'But he's a terrible person,' a part of her mind whispered, 'and you don't know anything about him. All you do is fight…'

As she struggled internally, she heard Bill warn, ' _ **Little Bird, behind you!**_ '

The trembling of the ground caught her attention, and she heard Dipper ask, "Do you hear that?"

The siblings turned around and screamed as they saw a stampede of buffalo coming toward them, their horns lowered and sharp.

The Pines siblings ran, only to feel the ground give beneath them as the loose earth sent them off a cliff. Instinctively, Evelyn grabbed the twins' arm and pulled them close. She would _not_ lose them, not if there was something she could do to stop it.

She felt and heard the tearing of canvas beneath her, and felt the breath as it was forced out of her lungs once she landed on something heavy, yet soft. Somewhere in the distance, she could hear faint cries of 'Dysentery!', and the whinnying of horses.

"...What time period is this?" Evelyn muttered, disoriented by the fall. Faintly, she could hear a man proclaim, "Forge ahead mighty oxen, for a new life awaits us on this… Oregon trail."

"Oregon trail?" Her eyes widened as she processed what that meant for them. "... Oh. I know when we are."

"The 70s?" Mabel asked.

"No, Mabel, it's-"

"You sent us back 150 years, genius, it's pioneer times!" Dipper cut in angrily.

The man holding the reins looked back to see what had caused the crash, and only looked only slightly surprised at the sight of three strangers. "By Trembley! Fertilia, it seems you've given birth to three more children!"

Within the wagon, a woman, Fertilia most likely, seemed fairly unfazed by the appearance of the three brunettes. "It appears I have. More little hands to render the tallow."

Mabel looked between her sister and the solemn woman surrounded by her children, hoping to get an answer. "Tallow? What?"

Now that Evelyn was paying attention, she noticed the sheer volume of children in the covered wagon. They were all filthy and dressed in rags, showing the difficulty of their journey. For a moment, all she felt was an overwhelming wave of sadness and empathy. These people would struggle all their lives, the least of which from the lack of medical advancements - among other things - while she could just go back to her time and live comfortably…

"Her mouth is filled with silver, mother!" One of the young boys commented, awed. Evelyn's heart hurt. To see kids living in these conditions always tore a part of her heart out.

"These are called braces." Mabel explained, showcasing the metal in her mouth.

"Mabel!" Dipper and Evelyn reproached simultaneously.

"We can't start messing with the past!" Dipper continued, sounding annoyed and panicked. Even he seemed to realize the possible consequences to Mabel's actions.

"Oh, said the guy who messed with the past all day and cost me my pig?" Mabel was furious. Pulling out a calculator, she taunted, "I'll mess with the past all I want!"

"Mabel, stop that right now!" Evelyn exclaimed in incredulity. What had gotten into them?!

' _ **Now's not the time, Little Bird!**_ ' Bill yelled. His voice was becoming fainter. ' _ **Find the necklace, or else you'll be alone in this mess!**_ '

Her panic came back full force. Where had she left it? She'd had it on when they'd been transported to the future…

Oh no.

That tugging sensation, the sound of something tearing - it hadn't just been caused by what was now a hole in the back of her shirt's collar. Her necklace must have been caught.

She was pulled back to reality by Dipper's loud exclamation of, "Give me that!"

Both twins were struggling over the Time-Tape for a moment, before Dipper managed to wrench it from her sister's hands. Evelyn ran forward, placing herself between them as she struggled to hold back Mabel.

"Cut it out you two, right now!" she yelled, furious at their behaviour and terrified by the possible consequences. "Don't you realize what you're messing with?!"

"Don't worry, Evie, I'm gonna set the timeline right!" Dipper grabbed his older sister's arm before pulling the tape, sending them hurtling into another time.

-DaLD-

Evelyn barely had enough time to take in her new surroundings - the large, leafy plant life that looked very different from what she was used to in Gravity Falls and the strange scents in the air - before she felt the ground tremble beneath her feet.

Turning to look behind her, she couldn't help the scream that tore its way through her throat at the sight of a large, carnivorous dinosaur that stood right behind her and the twins.

The twins screamed as well and tried pushing the buttons on the device as Evelyn shielded them with her body.

Just as the teen felt the repulsively warm breath of the dinosaur brush the nape of her neck, her brother pushed a button that sent them into another time.

-DaLD-

Evelyn recognized her surroundings after only a second of disorientation; she was back in the crazy future, where she'd been tossed into metal rubble and had to flee to escape laser blasts.

It was also where her necklace would most likely be.

' _ **What are you waiting for, Little Bird?**_ ' Bill's voice was even softer now. She could barely hear him over the blaster fire, and it terrified her for some reason. ' _ **The necklace is close! Get it!**_ '

Evelyn was about to do just that, scanning the nearby destruction for the glint of anything familiar, when her eye caught something so strange she couldn't help but pause and stare open-mouthed.

A giant, floating baby with a blue symbol on its forehead hovered above the ground, shooting blue lasers from its eyes at scattered humans. Before Evelyn could focus on it for too long, she was called back by Bill, and anxiously looked around her for any sign of the large chunk of metal she was sure it would be on.

Her eyes glimpsed a flash of gold a few feet away, and she recognized the triangular shape. It was her necklace!

Feeling relieved, she took only one step forward before Dipper grabbed the hem of her shirt and pulled, his free hand desperately mashing buttons on the time machine. He was clearly terrified by the surroundings, and though Evelyn would usually take that cue to leave, she needed to get her necklace back. It was _so_ close…

"I think I got it!" Dipper exclaimed, pressing a few more buttons.

"Wait!" Evelyn cried, reaching toward the necklace. "No, no, _no_ -"

The three vanished once more.

-DaLD-

They reappeared at the Gravity Falls Lake, and Evelyn realized that this had been the day of their fishing trip; she could see the flyers. Old Man McGucket screaming in the distance about monsters certainly helped her locate the time as well.

"Dipper, wait, we need to go back-" Evelyn began. If she could just get them to calm down and stop wasting the amount of turns they had on the time machine, she could get her necklace back and they could come up with a peaceful solution.

She never got to finish her sentence however; Mabel used Dipper's distraction and took the Time-Tape.

"I'M COMING WADDLES!" she screamed, running away as quickly as she could.

Dipper and Evelyn followed in hot pursuit. She heard something fall behind them, but the teen was too busy trying to keep up with the siblings and her own internal panic to care.

' _Little Bird…_ ' his voice was faint now. Any second and he'd be gone, an she'd be alone again.

'Hold on, just for another minute.' Evelyn didn't like how close her tone sounded to pleading. 'I'll fix this.'

The siblings bumped into each other as Mabel stopped for a second to use the tape, sending the three to another time.

-DaLD-

The siblings continued the chase the moment they landed in a new time, hardly aware of their surroundings. Evelyn felt an uncomfortably warm weight building behind her eyes, but shook it off once Dipper tripped on a wire. She'd been keeping pace with him, and instinctually stopped to help him up, barely noticing the shoe that slipped off of his foot from the fall.

They caught up with Mabel and were once again displaced.

-DaLD-

The roar that greeted them upon appearing in a new time would have usually made Evelyn stop her siblings and assess the danger of their situation, but she couldn't bring herself to stop running. She didn't know what she'd do if she stopped.

The teen did manage to glance in the direction of the roar for a split second and saw the back of the grant gnome monster that had officially introduced her to the oddities of Gravity Falls. She turned her head away; it was definitely not something to be concerned about. Though the idea of finding a way to avoid having her stalker gnome would have been nice, if she had the time...

How many turns did they have left on the time machine anyway? Dread coiled in Evelyn's gut as she imagined being trapped in another time, with two bickering siblings and without Bill…

'This needs to stop.'

-DaLD-

The siblings once again found themselves in another time, and barely even glanced at the snow-covered Shack as they ran.

Evelyn jumped forward after putting on a burst of speed and managed to grab Dipper's arm, upsetting Mabel's balance in the process. The younger twin fell into the snow with a loud squeak.

Before Evelyn could fully stop them and begin berating the twins, Mabel jumped up, bouncing the Time-Tape between hands as though it burned.

"This thing is getting hotter!" Mabel cried.

"WHAT DID YOU DO?!" Dipper renewed his struggled to break free from his sister's grip.

Evelyn didn't let go, but felt fear pierce her. "Mabel, how many turns do we have left?!".

"Um… seven." Mabel responded. She paled and squeaked, "Seven?!"

Light pooled onto the snow-covered lawn as the Shack's door was opened. Despite being on the edge of the forest and presumably hard to see for any person on the deck, Mabel panicked and began to pull on the Time-Tape at random.

Shielding her siblings from direct line of sight, Evelyn turned her head enough to just make out a man that looked like her great uncle - yet much younger - peering towards them in the dark, his glasses glinting.

Evelyn made eye contact for a split second with the man before being sent to a new time.

-DaLD-

Evelyn was immediately assaulted by a putrid smell and complete darkness upon entering a new time, but her thoughts lingered on the man she'd seen; her great uncle.

She couldn't be sure if he'd managed to fully make out her appearance, since it had been snowing and dark out, but she couldn't shake the notion that he'd at least seen her eyes. She really hoped he hadn't though; her eye colour _was_ fairly distinct, and she didn't want to explain to him why she'd somehow shown up that far in his past. The less he knew about the supernatural and their escapades, the better.

However, something felt odd to her… the man she'd seen had looked identical to her uncle, but... something had been different. His posture had been unlike her Grunkle Stan, and he'd seemed well groomed, with an air of intelligence. She hadn't gotten that vibe from the uncle she'd seen holding her baby-self at the same capacity though. She knew her uncle was definitely smart, but he'd always been careful not to show it. He claimed that it was better to be underestimated when it came to things like that.

' _Little Bird…_ ' Bill's voice was nearly non-existent, but it still managed to pull her out of her musings.

'Bill?!'

Evelyn was suddenly sent forward into blinding light as the door to her stinky prison was opened and allowed herself the barest glance of her surroundings - the carnival - before focusing on the voice in her head.

'Bill are you still there?!'

' _I… can't connect, Little Bird._ ' He was almost gone. ' _Get the necklace._ '

'No, no, no,' Evelyn felt a lump form in her throat. 'Please don't go -hold on! I'll get it back, I promise! Don't leave me alone, _please_ …'

She heard him chuckle. ' _What, can't live without my wonderful voice?'_

'This can't be it. I can get you back, right?' She'd never thought she would be so panicked to lose him; hadn't she sometimes envisioned having her mind to herself again?

' _Find the necklace-_ '

Bill was cut off by Dipper, who had bumped into Evelyn and ruined her concentration. She felt as though a connection, a wire in her head had snapped, and dread seeped into her blood at what that could mean.

'Bill?' she tried. 'Bill, are you there? Bill? Bill!'

He didn't respond, and deep-down Evelyn knew he wouldn't be able to. He was just… gone.

The emptiness she felt was almost alarming. Tears pricked her eyes as she thought about the feeling of lack, of the absence of her… friend. She now knew that she could admit to herself that Bill had grown to become a friend. For all his snark and morbid comments, he was there for her when even her siblings weren't, and she felt as though she'd developed a small dependency on him. She felt that she could trust him to not sugar-coat her situations and give her a dose of reality, and it startled her to realize how much she already missed him.

She tried to think of the moments where he'd been horrible or had said things with the express purpose of making her skin crawl, but all she could think about were the warmer moments between them. His reaction to her fall after fighting Gideon, his words and support after losing Lisa, and the passing comments he made to raise her spirits, the comfort he sent through the necklace; all of it made her care. No matter how many times he showed his trickster-like qualities, he always showed her something _else_ , a side of him that cared if she lived or died.

And she'd be damned if she just sat down and let him be lost to her. Past-Evelyn may have accepted it with a sad smile but… being with Bill reminded her that she could fight, and that she didn't need to take everything and accept it as is. Not this time.

Dipper pulled on her arm, his voice urgent. "Evie! Are you alright?"

She nodded, determination blooming in her heart.

"C'mon, Mabel's acting out. She won't listen to me! She keeps banging her head on the totem pole…"

Evelyn allowed him to bring her towards the totem pole, though her mind was focused solely on the Time-Tape in her brother's free hand.

Mabel didn't turn to face her siblings when they stopped in front of her. Evelyn could see the exhaustion and devastation in the younger's posture, and she felt temporarily disconnected from her own issues. Her sister needed her.

That didn't stop an internal voice from asking. 'But don't you need Bill?'

She took a few steps towards her sister. "Mabel?"

When the young girl showed no signs of hearing the teen, Dipper tried, "You're not guilt-tripping me, Mabel. Not this time."

Evelyn could see that his statement was all talk. Dipper already looked guilt-ridden, and she imagined that he would give in soon.

Her brother seemed to be in denial however. "Come on, Mabel, I know you. You're gonna forget about this in a day!"

After Mabel showed no signs of reaction, Dipper took out the tape measure. Realizing what he was going to do, Evelyn quickly grasped his shoulder, and the two left to see Mabel's future.

-DaLD-

Mabel didn't change after a day, or a week. Once Dipper and Evelyn reached a month without change, the teen felt as though she was about to explode. Couldn't Dipper see that for once Mabel hadn't just been acting dramatically? Maybe Mabel was actually fated to have Waddles...

Evelyn could feel her own anxiety rising as she looked down at the time machine and realized that there were only three turns left on the device. She _needed_ to use the Time-Tape.

When she saw her brother mumble, "Maybe two months?" to himself, the teen jumped into action.

"No more, Dipper." she held his arms still, and crouched slightly to be at eye level. "We both know she probably won't stop all summer."

"But...but what do I do, Evie?" Dipper's voice cracked as his emotions bubbled over, and his sister felt equally strained. "If I don't do this, Wendy will end up with Robbie! Why can't I get the girl, and have things go my way for once? C-couldn't Wendy and I work out?"

Seeing the hurt and the sheen of tears in her brother's eyes, Evelyn pulled him close. "I've learnt that sometimes, sacrifices need to be made. It... hurts, sure, but things usually work out for the best, even if they don't feel that way... Maybe being with Wendy would have ended in your friendship being ruined, or with her breaking your heart anyway. But Dipper, that doesn't mean you're not meant to find someone." She chuckled weakly. "You're still really young, and you have more than enough time to meet that special someone."

Evelyn pulled away and tilted her brother's chin toward her. "Maybe this wasn't meant to work out for you, and you'd never meet who you're supposed to meet if you ended up with Wendy. The possibilities are endless, Dip."

Dipper gave her a tired smile. "I should do the right thing, shouldn't I?"

At her nod, he sighed and sent them back into the past.

-DaLD-

Evelyn waited nearby as her brother sabotaged his date with Wendy. A part of her was proud of him for taking the selfless route, but that was mostly drowned out by her own tumultuous thoughts and feelings. All she could think about was getting Bill back and getting rid of that _stupid_ Time-Tape.

She heard Mabel's joyful screams a few minutes later, and her mouth involuntarily quirked up into a smile. _It worked_.

Once the twins reunited, Evelyn slowly went to join them. They were babbling on about the adventure, Mabel with a vibrant beam and Dipper with a tired grin. Just as she reached them, Mabel made a comment about 'getting Waddles sooner', and Evelyn watched Dipper's eyes light up, dread pooling in her stomach.

"Mabel, repeat that!" the preteen ordered.

Confused, his twin complied. "I said that it would have been great if we'd gotten Waddles sooner, 'cause he could have helped with our adventure."

Dipper's eyes widened with a newfound realization. "That's it! Mabel, if we go back just a few minutes more in time, then we could win Waddles and save Wendy without getting them in the way! Why hadn't I thought of that?"

Unaware of his currently frozen older sister, he excitedly continued, "You can still angle the ball, and Evie can distract that guy again-"

"NO!"

The twins froze in surprise, their heads swivelling to see their usually collected sister tremble as she stood in front of them. She rarely, if ever, raised her voice at them like that. What was wrong?

Evelyn stared them down, allowing them to see the tears that finally slipped down her cheeks. "When will you two learn to stop messing with time?! You can't always get your way! Not everything in life is going to end the way you two want it to; why can't you see that?"

Dipper was the first to speak up, clearly surprised by his sister's uncharacteristic outburst. "E-Evie, what are you talk-"

"You know what I'm talking about, Dipper!" she levelled a glare at him, and his shoulders slumped. "All you two care about is the immediate rewards, and you never pay attention to the consequences! Do you know how much you screwed up while running through time? Or that I lost-" she clutched the void between her collar bones where the necklace used to be, and her shoulders shook as she held back a sob.

Lowering herself to her knees, she muttered, "Is it wrong that just once I want to be selfish and get back something I care about?"

The twins exchanged matching looks of confusion and guilt. They hadn't known what this trip had been doing to their sister, and the both felt guilty for not noticing it sooner.

The two slowly approached their sister and embraced her in the sincerest hug they could offer, with Waddles making a mournful sound of his own.

"We're sorry, Evie." Mabel mumbled. "We didn't know."

"I guess in all our planning, we didn't see that you weren't happy, even though we should've." Dipper added.

Mabel pulled back slightly to look at the place her sister had been grasping. "What did you lose? Your necklace?"

"...Yeah." How could Evelyn explain that it was so much more than just a necklace that she'd lost?

"It must have meant a lot to you." Mabel continued in a gentle tone. It was rare for the eldest Pines' siblings to be the one who was openly hurting and needing help, but Mabel was trying her best to help. Her sister had done this for her countless times, after all.

Evelyn couldn't help but feel a bit guilty herself. She'd just convinced Dipper that sacrifice was sometimes best, yet now that she had the opportunity to follow her own words and make her brother happy, she didn't feel as though she was able to. There was just this… _void_ without Bill, and knowing that this wasn't just some temporary situation where they could make up and contact each other again… it scared her.

She just wanted him back…

Evelyn's tear-filled eyes focused on her brother as he moved slightly and placed something in her hand with a sad smile. Looking down, she saw the familiar yellow of the Time-Tape, and felt her tears resurge with a vengeance.

She wrapped her arms around them and held them tightly, a surge of gratitude taking hold. "Thank you." she whispered fiercely.

She pulled back to gaze at them with all the love she had, hoping to let them know how much this meant to her.

Dipper shrugged bashfully. "I don't know why you care so much about a necklace, but it's not fair that Mabel and I can try to get what we want when the best sister in the world doesn't get the same."

Evelyn hugged them one last time, before kissing their foreheads and standing up. The three looked at each other for a moment, before Evelyn wiped her cheeks and gave them a crooked smile. "I'll see you soon."

Then she pressed the button and disappeared.

-DaLD-

The barren, dystopian landscape was just as terrifying as Evelyn remembered.

She immediately did a cursory glance of her environment for any obvious dangers, but other than the occasional blaster fire in her direction, she seemed to be alright. She then looked for the necklace, soon recognizing a familiar hunk of metal only a few feet away.

"I'm coming Bill." she murmured, though she knew he couldn't hear her.

Crouching, the red-eyed teen used debris as cover while she slowly yet urgently made her way across the land. She could distantly hear the battle cries of men and women, along with a deep, thunderous voice and the sound of lasers.

She did _not_ want to find out why that future started.

After dodging a few stray blasts, Evelyn saw the metal she'd landed on. Letting out a relieved yet quiet cry, she dropped to her knees to look through the rubble, something her bare skin did not appreciate. She ignored it, focusing on the task at hand.

She dug around a bit, and it only took her a few panicked moments before she found it, hanging off a loose piece of metal. The brunette felt as though something had snapped on the chain. Was it the clasp?

Out of an irrational impulse to deny the fact that it was broken, the brunette pulled the necklace around her neck, holding it together by pinching the chain between two fingers. She knew it wasn't a good long-term solution, but she'd hoped it would be enough to connect her to Bill. It wasn't.

She felt an inexplicable sense of defeat wash over her, and her body slumped slightly from her position in the rubble. "I just wanted it to work…" she murmured.

A sudden sparking sensation shot through her from where the necklace met skin, causing the red-eyed teen to nearly drop it in shock. A whisper-like voice echoed in her mind, and though she knew it wasn't truly Bill - it didn't feel exactly like him - her heart soared.

' _I ekovne lliB rehpiC, retsam fo eht dnim, ot xif tahw sah neeb nekorb, dna ecaf eht tset fo emit._ '

Somehow, Evelyn knew she needed to repeat it A subconscious part of her urged her to say it, and she remembered the other times she'd been told to recite gibberish by Bill; it couldn't be much different than that.

"I ekovne lliB rehpiC, retsam fo eht dnim,ot xif tahw sah neeb nekorb, dna ecaf eht tset fo emit."

She felt something change in the metal between her fingertips as an almost unnoticeable wave spread out from the brunette's position, the chain of the necklace seemed to knit itself back together, and once she let go, she felt as though it had fused together, no clasp necessary.

Evelyn grinned and moved her hands to the Time-Tape, eager to get back home and let go of the entire nightmare of a day she'd just had. She fiddled with the tape measure, trying to make sure she got the timing exactly right - she didn't want to find herself stuck on the Oregon trail, or something.

However, a deep rumble shook loose bits of debris around, causing Evelyn to freeze. She looked around for the source. In the distance, and approaching too quickly for comfort, was the giant baby from before.

"BILL CIPHER!" the baby roared, looking murderous.

The teen let go of the Time-Tape measure, sending herself hurtling through time and far, far away from the homicidal floating baby.

-DaLD-

The twins sat on a bench a few hours later, waiting for a sign of their sister. Waddles lay sleeping on Mabel's lap, and the girl contentedly stroked the pig's head, though both she and her brother were beginning to worry.

Evelyn should have been back by now.

They knew that the time period she'd planned on travelling to could have been dangerous, and it was beginning to seem as though something had happened. The time machine could have broken, or she could have transported back to the wrong time, or she could be hurt…

Both twins didn't want to think about all the possibilities.

"She's coming back, right Dipper?" Mabel couldn't help but question.

"Of course she is, Mabel," Dipper sighed. "She's got to be around here somewhere. I mean, Blendin had his Time-Tape when he left, and that was not even fifteen minutes ago! Evie had to have come back for him to have his time machine. We'll just… wait here until we see her."

The bald time-traveler had been furious with the two, proclaiming that he'd make sure to go back in time and stop all three siblings from being born. They weren't too worried, as Blendin had been escorted away by two much more intimidating time-travelers. If he was under arrest, they doubted he'd be coming back any time soon.

That begged the question: where was Evelyn, if the tape had come back?

As the two sat, fretting, they felt something warm cover their eyes as they could suddenly only see a slightly pink darkness. "Surprise."

Both siblings immediately broke out of the loose hold, spinning around to face the familiar voice. "Evie!"

They tackled her in a hug, almost causing the older teen to lose her balance. With a chuckle, she hugged them back, relieved to be home.

Dipper was the first to pull away. "You got your necklace, right?" He glanced at her neck, and his eyes narrowed in thought. What was so important about the necklace, anyway?

Evelyn smiled, not noticing her brother's sprouting suspicions, and placed a hand over the necklace concealed underneath her shirt. "Yes, thank you Dipper. And," she let go of Mabel to reach down, pulling something up, "I got you both something to commemorate finally sticking to one timeline."

In her hands were the two plushies she'd won for them back before she'd been involved in time travel. Seeing the familiar gifts, Dipper momentarily forgot his wariness. The twins took their prize with a 'thank you', and Dipper ran his hands over the raincloud, thoughtful and a bit sad.

"So, did we ever find out why Blendin was even here in the first place?" Evelyn questioned, sitting down beside her siblings on the bench.

"Well, he said he was here for time anomalies, but we never saw them, and I don't think he found them. Maybe it was a mistake?" Mabel shrugged.

"Wait, guys; I think it was us." Dipper's eyes lit up with understanding.

Without him having to elaborate, his sisters understood what he meant. It was strange to realize that the whole reason they'd gone through the mess they had was because of someone checking in on the mess they'd made before they'd made it.

"Ugh, my brain hurts." Mabel groaned.

Evelyn nodded, empathetic. "Time travel is a bit too weird for me."

Dipper glanced away for a moment, his eyes catching sight of something he'd rather not have seen. "Oh, geez, I gotta deal with this all summer?"

Despite his annoyed tone, Evelyn could hear the undercurrent of actual sadness, and turned to look. He was staring at Wendy and Robbie. The dark-haired teen was trying to feed a caramel apple to the redhead, and even Evelyn thought it was a bit unsettling to look at.

The brunette turned to face her brother, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Dipper, what you did back there for me… I really appreciate it. I know how much Wendy means to you, and I'm sorry I ruined your last chance."

Seeing his sister's genuinely remorseful eyes, Dipper straightened and gave her a small smile. "Don't worry about it, Evie. I kind of always knew that this day wouldn't end well for me anyway. Plus, you're always putting us before yourself; it feels good to have it be the other way around for once."

The two shared a smile before Mabel caught their attention. "I have an idea that'll make today a lot better."

The tiny brunette pointed Waddles toward the apple in Robbie's hand, and the pig went barreling toward the treat, forcing Robbie to fall back in a startled cry as he tried to get away from the pig. He dropped the apple, letting Mabel's new pet get a reward for the successful mission.

Evelyn except for Robbie laughed, and the mood lightened.

"That'll do pig. That'll do." Dipper grinned.

Evelyn smiled at the scene, her heart light. Evelyn had ended mostly alright for all parties involved, and she honestly couldn't ask for more. Bill still hadn't spoken but Evelyn thought that it might take a bit of time to reconnect, and she was just happy to know that they could be able to communicate again.

All in all, it hadn't been that terrible a day.

 **-DaLD-**

 **Hey guys! I'm really sorry that this chapter has been delayed for such a long time; things have been piling up, even during my break, and since my midterms started I've been hard-pressed to find a moment to breath. Luckily, everything is starting (slowly) to fall back into place; I'm almost finished my exams, I've begun my final essay for history (What was the Effect of the Black Death on the Growth of Medieval Siena? – a topic I find particularly fascinating), I'm currently writing up the next three chapters so that I can have a semi-regular schedule set up, so you can all look forward to a chapter every two weeks or so for a bit!**

 **Thank you all for sticking with me during my currently unreliable schedule – you are all incredibly important to me and are one of the main reasons I continue writing. You all deserve huge hugs!**

 **As for this chapter, I found it a bit difficult to write Evelyn getting verbally upset. She's always been fairly collected in my mind, to the point of being a pushover when it comes to her siblings and showing her gradual development of a backbone is going to be a tricky task. I hope I managed to make it feel realistic enough!**

 **As a sidenote, I'd like to mention that the whisper that came from the necklace is residual energy; it's a failsafe, in case something happens to the necklace. It's explained a bit more in the next chapter, but I thought it'd be good to give you all this bit of information so that you can speculate over Bill's motives a bit more!**

 **Bill will be back in the next episode, so don't worry! I considered dragging it out, but I enjoy writing them together too much, and if she's ever going to fall for him, she's going to need a lot of time to get used to his antics before hand… And let me tell you, I am practically buzzing with excitement for the Dreamscaperers chapters! Things will be… interesting.**

 **Onto reviews!**

 **To Moon Ninja Luna: Thanks again! Your reviews always make me smile.** **And you'll definitely be seeing that guy again… but in what context?**

 **AngelPines: Ford getting a glimpse of Evie will be something that will effect the future, but we'll have to wait a while to see those changes!**

 **Nina Everblade: I'm glad to hear that you laughed! I was chuckling the entire time I wrote that scene.**

 **Branded Lunacy: Bill (currently) needs the necklace to speak through their bond; he's trapped in a place that would make it pretty hard to reach her otherwise.** **And as for her wearing the necklace when Ford comes back… well, there will be quite a few things her new uncle will be caught off guard by.**

 **redvintage888: *sips hot drink* Thank you! I'm really glad you've stuck with this so long; your support means more than you can know! I hope that this update made you happy! New content is always good! Having Bill disappear for this chapter was actually upsetting to write. And school is going well! My grades are up, I might be getting a summer job as a camp councillor (yay! I love working with kids, they're so adorable and awesome!), and I'm in a generally peppy mood. I hope things have been going well with you!**

 **selenastarsparrow1230: I'm glad you're enjoying the story so far!**

 **Guest: It was actually Stanley who was with baby Evelyn; I tried to show it subtly, with him dressing up to act like his more put-together twin, but I should have made it more obvious (that's my fault, I'm sorry!). The dynamic between her and Ford will actually be very interesting (in my opinion) though; they're very similar, what with something that makes them a 'freak' and having a connection to Bill, but there's still enough differences for it to be a rocky relationship. As for Dreamscaperers, tensions will be high… but that's all I can say for now!**

 **Guest: I'm glad you can relate to Evie! As an older sister myself, I can be overbearing at times, so I write from the heart with her. Bill's motives will be revealed gradually, and only when Bill really wants them to be revealed, so you'll have to wait and see!** **Her role in Weirdmaggedon is being set up pretty early on, but there are going to be a lot of AU elements to Weirdmaggedon, and I'm super excited for it! Evie's connection with Bill is fixed at the moment, so he'll be back soon, and as for other methods of communication, well… we may see some in the future…**

 **lunamoon531: Thank you! Without the necklace, Bill's ability to communicate and be with her while she's awake is basically void, but that's now fixed in a more… permanent way. I enjoyed writing the Stan and baby Evie scene! Their family dynamic is a lot of fun to write. What do you mean by 'reading underwater'? I hope that's a good thing!**

 **Berrybanana05: No worries Berry!**

 **Rei: Thank you for being so understanding! I really want to be able to update as much as possible for you guys, but sometimes life floods me before I can. It's actually a dream of mine to pursue a career in writing (as well as becoming a teacher), and it's good to know that you think I could be a decent novelist!** **For now, the timeline of the show won't be too altered, so this chapter ended similarly to the episode. That's going to change soon, though! You're right, Evie needs to stand up for herself, and this idea is going to be explored more and more in the future. As for Wendy's behaviour and the boy… these will all be made clearer in the future! (No spoilers!)**

 **Luckygurrl12: Thank you!**

 **Stacked Waters: Bill's treatment of the twins in the future is going to be… interesting. He's definitely got more of a personal grudge against them now, but he also knows how important they are to Evie… it's not going to be easy for anyone, that's for sure. If Ford somehow saw the necklace, we won't be finding out for a while, so you'll have to see! Your example of Bill's attempts at wooing Evie are pretty spot on! He's too chaotic for normal gifts, and I can't wait to show the two of them at their best!**

 **Glasses Writer: Evie definitely needs to learn to listen to Bill, and I plan on having this build itself up in the future. After nearly losing him this time, she's probably going to be a bit more attached, and you'll see some real development on this front! Dipper** _ **is**_ **smarter than Evie in some respects, but I don't think that her not listening to Bill is necessarily stupid, either. She's cautious and headstrong, and she still doesn't know where Bill comes from or what he wants; it's enough to put any girl on their guard, but Evelyn's learnt first hand to not immediately trust other people, and it's going to be detrimental to her, rather than a strength.**

 **Guest: Thank you! I'm glad you found this story and enjoy it so much, and I hope this chapter is as good as you were expecting! I love writing original plot lines, so you'll see a divergence from the main episodes semi-frequently!**

 **laurenalyse24: Thank you for your understanding! I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

 **CamiStark13: I'm glad you like this story, and I can't wait for them to finally meet too!**

 **Guest: I try to make Bill as realistic as possible, so I'm glad I'm doing it right! I'm also trying my best to make their relationship dynamic a non-abusive one, so as we go on, we'll see Evie gradually show Bill her boundaries and what will be okay when it comes to his possessiveness. I feel like he'll need it explained to him in very obvious terms, so that's going to be fun!**

 **morita999:** **Gracias por los amables comentarios! He intentado hacer el giro inesperado pero posible, y espero que me hizo un buen trabajo con eso! Lo que realmente me hace feliz que usted piensa que Evelyn's un buen carácter, y espero que se quede con la historia! Lo siento si la gramática es raro - he usado un traductor para hacer mis mínimos conocimientos del español un poco mejor.**

 **That about wraps it up the reviews! Thank you to everyone who reviewed, and I'm sorry if I missed anyone! I'm trying to get this chapter out as quickly as possible, so please forgive any spelling errors that you may find! Please favourite, follow and/or review! Have a wonderful day/night/timeless moment everyone! -Aria**

 **I don't own Gravity Falls.**


	35. Chapter XXXIV: Fight Fighters (part 1)

It had taken a day for Bill to be able to connect to her waking mind again, and Evelyn was honestly relieved that he could. Though she'd found out that he could connect with her while she dreamt – it had definitely been a surprise to find herself back in the Mindscape so soon after nearly losing Bill – she couldn't help but feel better for having his commentary again.

Bill had also sounded surprised and almost… proud when she'd explained how she'd gotten angry at her siblings and travelled to get the necklace.

' _ **Look at you, Little Bird,**_ ' Bill had crowed, ' _ **finally standing up for yourself to your siblings! It looks like you're finally following my advice.**_ '

Evelyn had somewhat refuted that claim; she had done that in a moment of strange desperation, and it had definitely not been a calculated move on her part. But she let him have it, honestly too relieved that everything had worked out to get on the defensive.

Soos had asked the Pines family to come visit his 'favourite place ever', and though Stan had grumbled and protested, the siblings had managed to convince their uncle to let Soos have what he wanted for once. Stan had stopped complaining, since the time they spent wherever they were going was being taken out of Soos' break time.

As she, her siblings, her uncle and Soos headed to the arcade in Stan's beat up car, something began to bother the brunette from her last 'adventure'. 'Bill… why did that giant baby know you?'

' _ **Oh, you mean Time Baby?**_ ' Bill was nonchalant as he replied, ' _ **He's been trying to destroy me for millennia. Something about me not caring about 'the fragile balance in the space-time continuum'.**_ '

'Alright…' Evelyn hesitated. 'He seemed to think I had something to do with you though. Before I escaped, he was rushing at me.'

' _ **Oh, my energy signature was probably all over you. You**_ _ **did**_ _ **tap into my powers, after all.**_ '

'How did I do that again?' Evelyn wondered. 'You weren't there; how could I use your powers?'

He seemed to hesitate for a moment before replying. ' _ **Just because we couldn't talk doesn't mean a piece of me wasn't there, Little Bird. I've spent enough time in your head to have left**_ _ **some**_ _ **residual power.**_ ' He paused. ' _ **I may have also placed some… fail safes in the necklace…**_ '

Evelyn wanted to question him more on the necklace and his 'fail safes', but before she could, everyone seemed to be getting out of the car to see their destination. With a sigh, the brunette followed.

As they walked into the arcade, Soos exclaimed, "This is it dudes, my favourite place in Gravity Falls. Everything I know, I learned right here." He began gesturing to games they passed by. "A frog taught me how to cross a street. When my house was haunted, I learned how to eat ghosts. And," he pointed toward a dance machine that was currently occupied by a frantically dancing Old Man McGucket. "This thing taught me how to dance."

"I've been jiggin' here for seven days straight!" the old man cried, his eyes manic.

Evelyn couldn't hear any music coming from the machine, so she peaked at the screen; it was completely blank with an 'Out of Order' sign on it.

Mabel seemed to notice the same thing, and knelt to pick up and display the plug to the dance machine. "Uh, Soos?"

Soos, in a surprising moment of the clarity and kindness, shook his head at the girl. "Let him have this."

Evelyn began to wander off, studying the video games the arcade offered, inspecting the cheesy titles in bemusement.

' _ **The human race really couldn't come up with something better than 'Bad Cop Bob' as a title?**_ ' Bill asked in mild disgust.

Evelyn shrugged. 'The older games were generally geared towards a younger audience, I guess. I don't think a 9-year-old will question the title as he defeats a cartoony crime syndicate.'

She wandered along a little bit longer before recognizing a familiar head of red hair.

"Wendy!" The red-eyed teen called out in greeting. She waved to get her friend's attention as she walked over, and the redhead grinned.

"Hey, Lynnie! How's my favourite 17-year-old doing?" Wendy crowed. Once the brunette was close enough, she added in a whisper, "Is, uh… that dude still in your head?"

Evelyn grinned in amusement as she felt Bill's annoyance. ' _ **I think I liked Ice Bag better when she wasn't aware enough to ask dumb questions.**_ '

Rolling her eyes, the teen replied, "I've been good; and yeah, Bill's still here, though I think he's annoyed with your question." Her nose scrunched up lightly as she thought. "His nickname for you is Ice Bag, for some reason."

"Why is that?" Wendy asked in curiosity. "It is 'cause I'm so cool?"

Evelyn laughed, then shook her head. "I have a strange feeling that that's not the reason. I've been trying to get him to stop anyway. If it's any consolation, my nickname is Little Bird."

"Aw, that's so cute!" Wendy cooed jokingly, grabbing the other teen by her shoulders. "Look at the itty bitty, precious bird!" Straightening with a grin, she continued, "Man, if I didn't know you any better, I'd say it was a pet name, like 'Sweet Pea', or 'Honey Bear'."

Brushing off her comments, Evelyn moved on. She didn't know why, but she'd suddenly felt a bad feeling when they'd been discussing nicknames, and she felt compelled to avoid the topic completely. "Do you wanna play Racing Ninja Truck Warriors III?"

"Do I?!"

Both girls raced over to the hard-plastic seats and paid for their incredibly short races, laughing each time the other somehow managed to drive off the track into the opposite direction.

As they played, Wendy leaned over slightly to the older teen. "Hey, I just wanted to let you know that I'll be out of town for a bit."

"Really?" Evelyn questioned. Her eyes didn't move from the screen, not trusting that Wendy wasn't using a tactic to distract her. The redhead was competitive like that.

Wendy shrugged. "Yeah, my dad wants to take me and my brothers camping for a bit. Something about 'absorbing the manly spirit of the forest'."

The two chuckled at that, before Evelyn nudged her friend slightly with her elbow. "Well, have fun, I guess."

"You'll just have to find a way to pass the time without my awesome presence, Lynnie!" Wendy crowed, glancing at the brunette as she grinned.

"I don't know how I'll go on." Evelyn rebuffed dryly. The two quieted once more, other than the occasional sound of victory or disappointment. The brunette enjoyed the silence they shared; it felt natural, and she was genuinely enjoying herself as she played. She couldn't imagine what her summer would have been like if she hadn't met Wendy.

They managed to play a few more rounds before they were joined by the twins. Dipper was – as expected – completely enamoured with Wendy, and it wasn't long before he convinced her to play 'Fight-Fighters' a little way away from his sisters, leaving the sisters to their own devices.

There was only a short pause before the silence was broken by Mabel. "Hey Evie, do you wanna play Magic Cutie Death Punch?!" the small brunette cried. She didn't wait for her sister's reply as she pulled the taller brunette toward the pink, blood splattered machine.

Evelyn shook her head, smiling at the enthusiasm that her sister was buzzing with as she picked up the blue, glittery gun.

"Why is it called 'Death Punch' if you're using a gun?" Evelyn wondered as the game's logo flashed on the screen.

"I don't know." Mabel shrugged. "I heard it was a lot of fun though."

The two stared at the screen as they were offered to choose a character each. Mabel, after a painstaking minute, chose 'Mistress Mermaida', a pink tailed mermaid holding a giant gun. Evelyn really didn't care about her choice, so she picked the first one she saw; 'Elven SilverLeaf', an elf-maiden holding a small pistol.

The game quickly began, and both sisters soon found the reason it was called Magic Cutie Death Punch; the guns, instead of shooting bullets, shot fists.

"How would those even fit inside a gun?" Evelyn asked, puzzled.

"I don't know why, but I know that this is horrible!" Mabel cried. "Why are we fighting _against_ unicorns?!"

Mabel let out a little whimper as the unicorn she hit cried out with a stock-whiny before exploding in a shower of blood. "Maybe we should stop, Mabes…" Evelyn began, seeing how upset her sister was becoming.

Before her sister could agree, the machine's voice over yelled. "Only two more levels before you reach _absolute cuteness_!"

"Absolute cuteness?!" It was like a switch had been flipped in the young girl's head. " _I want it_!"

The smaller girl went all out, shooting fists with delighted war cries as her sister sighed in exasperation.

' _ **Shooting Star is too attached to**_ _ **cuteness**_ _ **.**_ ' Bill complained. ' _ **That can be used against her, you know. She'll be too easy to manipulate if that's all she wants.**_ '

Evelyn hummed in thought. 'I'll keep that in mind.'

Mabel won the round without much contest from her sister, and gave her an excited hug as a giant pink cat in a princess dress and a sparkly horn congratulated them on getting ultimate cuteness.

"Thanks for playing, Evie! I totally rocked that rainbow fist in the end. It was all 'pzow-pzow'! And I was like 'pshoom'!" Her hand gestures flew rapidly as she jumped and excitedly rambled, nearly clipping the teen's chin in the process.

"Yeah, it definitely was… an experience." Though the plot had been absurd, Evelyn just enjoyed spending a peaceful moment with her sister.

But as the red-eyed teen looked around the arcade and saw Dipper glaring at Robbie's back as he commandeered Wendy's attention, she couldn't help but feel as though that peace wouldn't last as long as she hoped.

-DaLD-

Later, Evelyn and the rest of her family, including Soos, found themselves sitting around the poker table in the Shack's living room. Everyone but the red-eyed teen was playing a particularly intense game of poker; Evelyn had opted out, choosing to instead sit with a book and occasionally watch the game.

The brunette wasn't overly fond of poker, or other high-stakes card games for that matter. She didn't know if it was a general lack of skill on her part, or her own flimsy luck in games of chance, but she'd never really been that good at playing games like poker, as much as her uncle tried to teach her. She was better at games that didn't involve concealing her emotions and motives; it didn't help that she could never tell if her uncle was playing her in poker, or if he was cheating her out on a deal. She just had an easier time reading Stan's emotions out of the game, not in it.

Still, it didn't take away the enjoyment of watching Mabel school the males at the table with her ridiculously good poker skills. Evelyn, much to her amusement, was partially convinced that her sister had absolutely no idea what was going on in the game, which made it all the better.

Finally, after an energetic game full of Stan's barely suppressed curses, Mabel sat up straighter in her chair.

"King me!" she cried, revealing that her hand had two kings.

Evelyn snickered as a collective groan rose from among the men. "Aww! Come on!"

Evelyn's snickers became full blown laughter as her uncle cried indignantly; "It's not fair, she doesn't even know what we're playing!" He shot a glare at his eldest niece.

"Go fish?" Mabel responded, and Evelyn doubled over.

"Mabes," she gasped gleefully, "no matter what, don't ever change."

The boys' grumbling and Evelyn's fit of giggles were abruptly ended by the loud sound of an electric guitar playing outside.

The group exchanged confused glances, having no clue where the sound could be coming from.

"Did someone leave their radio on at dangerously high levels of volume?" Evelyn asked, but Stan shook his head, and Soos shrugged.

Suddenly, a thought occurred to the repairman. "Dude, I think I'm picking up a radio station inside my head."

Evelyn stared at him incredulously, as Mabel easily accepted his theory. "Try blinking to see if you can change the channel!"

'Well,' Evelyn thought, 'Soos is insane.'

' _ **It took you this long to notice, Little Bird?**_ ' Bill laughed. ' _ **Question Mark's had a few screws loose since day one!**_ '

As she watched Soos seriously try to blink to 'change the channel', she shook her head. 'I never thought that it was this bad before.'

Any possibility of Soos being a human radio was thrown out the window when a familiar voice called, " _Weeendy_!'

Dipper and Evelyn collectively groaned, and the younger sibling muttered, "Ugh, sounds like Robbie."

Seeing the adverse reactions his niece and nephew had to the teenager currently singing in their yard, Stan asked; "Robbie? Is he that jerky twerp I see making goo-goo eyes at Wendy all the time?"

Evelyn couldn't help but smile at her uncle's definition. "Sounds like him. He's had a thing against me ever since Wendy and I hit it off." She grinned. "He definitely doesn't act like he's older than us – he's way too immature."

"He called me 'big dude' once." Soos added. "I mean, I know I'm a big dude, but it kinda hurt."

"Should I sic Waddles on him again?" Mabel offered, enjoying the mutual dislike they shared for the rude teen.

In response, Waddles chewed on Mabel's knit sleeve in excitement, causing the tiny brunette to squeal. "Whoa, easy tiger!"

A shadow passed over Dipper's face despite the levity in the room. As he stood up, Evelyn gave him a mildly concerned look. "I'll handle it."

He began to determinedly march away, only to be stopped by a gentle hand wrapping around his wrist. He looked at his older sister, her book laying forgotten on her lap as she looked him over. "Are you sure?" she asked, her red eyes gazing at him in a way that made him feel like a toddler again. "I could come with you-"

Though he was glad that she was concerned, he was determined to do this alone. He shook his head. "I've got this, Evie."

He gently pulled his arm out of her grasp, and she watched him walk away with a mix of pride and loss. She wasn't worried about what Robbie would do; the guy was all talk, and she knew he wasn't a very skilled fighter (Wendy had plenty of funny stories about his failures). But… a part of her felt as though allowing him to confront Robbie was only going to upset Dipper more; for all of Robbie's lack of skill in actual fighting, he wasn't half-bad at mind games. She just wanted to be there to shield her brother from it, but she couldn't force him to bring her, not in front of their critical uncle.

' _ **He's gotta grow a back bone someday Little Bird, or you'll spend the rest of your short human lifespan shielding the wimp.**_ ' Bill commented.

Evelyn sighed, knowing that he was right. 'I guess. I want him to succeed in life…'

' _ **So you can't fight all of Pine Tree's battles.**_ ' He finished. ' _ **You'd be practically ensuring his failure that way.**_ '

'…Always the voice of reason, huh?'

' _ **I would be if you'd bother to follow my advice, Little Bird.**_ ' Bill grumbled.

Evelyn had to suppress a chuckle. 'Heard you loud and clear.'

After having nearly lost him, the brunette found herself much more relaxed with his commentary. She could admit, looking back, the she didn't always handle him and his attitude very well, nor did he handle hers, but… she was willing to try a bit more. They were basically a team now, since he seemed to want to stay in her mind for as long as possible.

Shaking her head, she looked up to see her uncle getting riled up at the possibility of a conflict, and she couldn't help but sigh in exasperation. "Not everything needs to be resolved in conflict or in some violent way, Grunkle Stan."

Stan shrugged. "Maybe not, kid, but the best things are!"

They heard Robbie's singing stop, and could faintly hear the sounds of an argument. Evelyn, out of respect for her brother, attempted to tune it out, but her uncle wasn't so courteous. He stood right by the window, listening in, and his expression shifted between glee, annoyance and something that looked like pride.

To take her mind off what was happening, Evelyn asked, "Mabel, d'you want to play a round of go fish?" It wasn't her favourite card game, but Mabel had always enjoyed it.

"Do I?!" Mabel haphazardly pushed her poker chips away, passing the deck of cards to Evelyn to be shuffled.

The sisters played a short round while waiting for Dipper to come back, with Mabel trying to beat her sister through Soos, who stood nearby the oblivious teen and gestured the numbers of Evelyn's cards. The older brunette, upon being told by Bill that Soos was helping Mabel cheat, decided not to play fair, and Bill gave her Mabel's numbers in retaliation. Though the game had gotten close, Mabel's constant luck won out, and the sisters feigned seriousness as they shook hands at the end of the game.

They were about to start another round, this time with an incensed Bill getting ready to crush Mabel immediately, when Dipper walked back into the house, looking incredibly pale.

"What's wrong?" Evelyn asked immediately, going toward her troubled brother.

"Robbie wants to fight me, that's what's wrong!" Dipper took off his cap and began to pull on his hair as he panicked. "I told him off about Wendy and he tried to call her to tell her about how I feel, and then I accidentally broke his phone, and now's he really angry and-"

Evelyn reached forward, gently removed Dipper's hands from his hair, and placed her hands on his shoulders to hold him in place. "Dipper, breathe."

He reluctantly took a long gulp of air, and began to relax. After a few moments, the older brunette backed away and Dipper began to pace, his mind racing. "What was I thinking, standing up to Robbie like that? I can't fight! I've never been in a fight before!" He began to panic once more. "Look at these noodle arms!"

He wiggled his arms frantically, and his eldest sister didn't know if she should comfort him, or laugh at his admittedly adorable behaviour.

Stan spoke up, offering his version of advice. "Just bonk him over the head! It's nature's snooze button!"

"Don't do that, Dip." Evelyn warned. "You could do serious damage to Robbie that way. Plus, it's dangerous to over-exert yourself in a fight, so spending all your energy trying to reach his head will only tire you out."

"Boys!" Mabel sighed. "Why can't they learn to hate each other in secret? Like girls do!"

"Mabel, girls don't-" Evelyn scoffed, but paused as she thought it over. "All right, not _all_ girls do that."

Mabel shrugged in response.

Stan snickered. "Sure, listen to your sister! Maybe you can share dresses too!" He laughed obnoxiously. "BOOM!"

Evelyn rolled her eyes at her uncle's 'macho' behaviour. She could see that he sometimes liked to pick on Dipper's masculinity for some reason – maybe to compensate for a lack he'd felt at that age? – but she honestly thought he was just being cruel to an already insecure boy.

Not to mention she'd found out about her uncle's secret love for the 'Old Lady Black-And-White Movie Channel'; if he continued to pick on her brother she may be forced to use it as blackmail.

Dipper, feeling his breathing begin to go out of control, tentatively took slower breaths and attempted to calm himself down, to Evelyn's approval. "Maybe he'll just forget about it. Maybe it'll all blow out."

His older sister was about to say something positive, if only to help his no doubt frantically beating heart, when Soos spoke up and made it worse.

"I don't know, Dipper. Teenagers are dangerous. Those hormones turn them into like, killing machines!"

"R-really?" Dipper whimpered.

"Hey!" the only teen in the room sputtered indignantly. "I am _not_ a hormonal killing machine!"

"No, no, Evie, he's right! You're a teen, and you can kick butt whenever you like!" Her brother quivered.

' _ **He's got you there, Little Bird.**_ ' Bill snickered.

"Dipper, I trained a good portion of my life to be even _half_ decent at fighting. It doesn't just come naturally." Evelyn huffed, though she attempted a soothing tone to calm her brother's nerves.

Soos continued speaking, forcing Evelyn to give him a sharp glare. "Oh yeah, dude. My cousin Reggie got in a fight with a teen once. The guy broke, like, all his arms, all his legs, and I think killed him or something, I don't know. Me and Reggie were just talking about it."

Evelyn rubbed her forehead to quell the headache that her annoyance was beginning to create. "Oh, for the love of – that doesn't even make sense! How could a teen have killed your cousin if you were just talking to him?"

Dipper was too far gone to listen to his sister's logic. He backed himself up into a corner, muttering, "I can't stay here! What if Robbie comes back?! I gotta hide!"

Even Stan stopped playing, seeing that his nephew was genuinely panicking. "Look, kid. You got yourself a choice here. You can either go face him like a man, or you can hide indoors like a wimp." He paused. "What'll it be?"

Dipper seemed to ponder Stan's ultimatum, before sighing. "I'm going upstairs for a bit."

Evelyn watched her brother trudge up the stairs, and after lightly slapping Soo and Stan's arms in annoyance, followed Dipper's path.

She found him sitting on his bed clutching his hair as his breaths wheezed out, and immediately enveloped him in a hug, sitting down beside him. She could feel his frantically pounding heart, and the way it reminded her of a terrified rabbit made her hold him tighter, gently running a hand through his hair.

"It's alright, Dipper." She murmured as he clutched her light blue t-shirt tightly. "What they said about teenagers isn't true. Robbie's scrawny; he'd barely be able to do anything to you as long as you don't let him."

"I know they were exaggerating." Dipper murmured, his voice muffled by the cotton fabric his sister was wearing. "But Robbie's still taller than me, and he's hated me since day one. I don't stand a chance!"

"Hey," Evelyn said gently, separating herself from her brother to look into his eyes. "Don't give up before you've even tried, Dip. You don't know what you could be capable of. And honestly," she gave him a smile, "I don't want you to fight at all. Violence won't solve anything between you two, and I can tell you don't want to fight him. It's fine to want to be pacifistic, Dipper. You can just talk to him, sort things out that way."

"He won't want to listen," Dipper said miserably. "and he'll tell everyone, he'll tell _Wendy_ , that I'm a wimp."

"Wendy won't like you guys fighting either." Evelyn tried. "She hates seeing her friends fight, and I can guarantee she'll be furious with the both of you."

Dipper didn't listen, stewing in his growing mortification and fear. "I gotta go somewhere – just for a bit. The arcade's open!"

"Dipper-" his sister began.

"Thanks for comforting me, Evie!" he hurriedly picked up his hat and headed for the door, leaving a resigned sister behind him.

He didn't miss Evelyn reaching for her necklace as he left, and as he watched the familiar gesture, he couldn't help but wonder what the necklace meant to his sister.

 **-DaLD-**

 **Hey guys! Long-time no see… sorry about that. I was sucker-punched by finals and training at my new job, so time's gotten away from me. School's over for me though, and after these two exams this week I'll be free to write whenever I'm not working! That means more updates and a more regular schedule, so yay! As far as chapters go, this one is one of my shorter ones, but I hope you all enjoyed it regardless. Bill and Evie are trying to make things work, and Dipper's beginning to get suspicious… we'll see where that goes in the future!**

 **I just wanted to let you know that I've decided not to write the Boss Mabel episode; it's mostly filler and won't really further this story's plot, so even though I enjoy that episode, I want to begin cutting to the chase soon. The plot heavy episodes are on the horizon, and I can't wait!**

 **On to reviews!**

 **Fantasy Fan 223: Thanks for the compliment! It's nice to know that my writing spoke to you enough that you felt Evelyn's feelings as strongly as I tried to portray them. With Evie, I really wanted to show a female character that wasn't just one thing; she's a bit feminine but insecure in her own femininity, she's a fighter but enjoys being passive, etc. People tend to be conflicting in their own personalities, and I tried to reflect that in Evie; being a girl is amazing with all its flaws, and I hope that I'm able to show that perspective through her. It's always great to talk to you, and your reviews make me very happy!**

 **starrat: Thanks for your reviews!**

 **Moon ninja Luna: I'm glad you caught that! 'Permanent' is the key word, and let's just say that Bill's not going to let any accidents force the necklace off of her anymore… but when Evie will find out is anyone's guess; she's definitely been having a hectic summer so far. And thanks! Does it sound weird that I'm super touched that you stopped a movie to read this story? As for Ford, his brief encounter with Evie will impact the future in a big way!**

 **lunamoon531: Thanks for your review! Now that I know what 'reading underwater' means, I feel really happy. Evie will start prioritizing her on happiness, but her old habits will be hard to break, and a lot of her personality comes from her bond with the twins – at least for now.**

 **sweetpye: It's no problem! I've learnt French, but my grammar isn't exactly at a pro-level, so if I ever incorporate French into this story (something I'd like to do at one point), I'll be sure to talk to you about it! I hope you enjoyed this chapter!**

 **Glasses Writer: Dreamscaperers is coming, but it's still a little ways off. I have stuff planned in the story to get us to that point though, so hopefully the journey will be as enjoyable as the destination!**

 **AngelPines: I consider the Time Baby she met to be a future version of the one we see in Blendin's game, so he won't necessarily react too strongly to her. But at the same time… will he still recognize the necklace as a tie to Bill, or will something else be going on? What will Bill do to make him that angry?**

 **Nina Everblade: Thanks for your support! I feel so lucky to have such a compassionate community around me!**

 **Branded Lunacy: I hope this chapter fulfilled your wishes! Evie will be making an effort now to not react as strongly as she did to his comments, and they both had quite the scare. You can never take the sarcasm and chaos out of Bill though, so who knows…**

 **Luckygurrl12: While I can't answer most of these questions, I can say that there will be a very interesting arc between Evie and Ford, and this is only the beginning of it. She's definitely noticing the dissimilarities between Stan and Ford, even if she's not fully realized it. Dreamscaperers will be… enlightening, to say the least. I'm very excited for that point! The 'permanent' thing will be explained soon, but Moon ninja Luna was pretty spot on with her theory.**

 **CamiStark13: Sorry for taking so long, but I hope you enjoyed the update!**

 **Rei: They're both definitely rewarding paths; right now I'm actually beginning to make a rough draft for an original novel idea I've been chewing on for a while, but it'll be a while before that will go anywhere; if you have any tips from one writer to another, let me know! Evie** _ **is**_ **going to have to learn to be more assertive with Bill, and it's going to be a wild ride getting to that point. And Bill's not going to let her reaction to his loss go easily; there's going to be major teasing and a lot of smugness in their future! Also, Rei, you almost made me cry when you wrote that you bought the necklace and earrings; it makes me feel amazing to know that this story has even a small influence! I really need to find a triangle-shaped necklace and bird-earrings of my own.**

 **Guest: Thank you! I love knowing that people enjoy this story so much!**

 **BowtiesAreCool11: It's good to have a name; I confuse myself when I leave multiple 'guest' replies. Thank you for the review and the support! I'm glad to know that I was able to make you feel what Evie was feeling.**

 **ObsidianPhantom: Thanks for the reviews!**

 **wyattharto8: Thank you! That means a lot!**

 **Guest: I'm back, and I'm sorry for the wait!**

 **Dragonpalete: Thank you!**

 **Victoria1676: Thanks! I hope you enjoyed this chapter!**

 **Stacked Waters: I hadn't thought about Mabel making a scene for Evie in the play, but that's not a bad idea at all! I'll have to ask you more about it, and I'll definitely credit you when the time comes!**

 **redvintage888: This was a real wakeup call for me! I was prepping a final essay, saw this, and felt compelled to finalize the update!**

 **foxchick1: I hope you enjoyed!**

 **laurenalyse24: Thank you! I hope you enjoyed this chapter!**

 **I just want to give my sincerest thanks to everyone who has stuck through this with me; I know the long wait was annoying, but you're all so supportive and I'll do my best to make it up to you all this summer! On an unrelated note, I'm looking for a few good summer reads, and I'd be interested to see what you guys could offer; I'm a sucker for romance, but I love anything strange, fantastic, or deep! Consider this my way of getting to know you guys better – books are windows into a person's personality and mind, after all! Happy Mother's Day everyone!**

 **Please favourite, follow, and/or review! I apologize for any spelling mistakes, and no flames please!**

 **-Love, Aria**

 **I don't own Gravity Falls.**


	36. Chapter XXXV: Fight Fighters (part 2)

After Dipper left, Evelyn made her way down the stairs to join Mabel in the living room.

"Evie! D'you wanna watch an episode of Ducktective with me?" Mabel asked. "Ducktective's sick while a virus-killer is on the loose!"

Knowing that there wasn't much she had to do, Evelyn agreed with a smile and sat cross-legged in front of the loveseat by her sister. She hadn't spent time with just Mabel in a while, and in the teen's opinion, girl time was a much needed thing at the moment.

' _ **It's not just girls here, Little Bird.**_ ' Bill reminded, sounding mildly annoyed at being forgotten.

'Sorry, Mr. Sensitive.' Evelyn joked.

It didn't take long for Mabel to begin to take sections of her sister's hair and braid it, enjoying the softness. Her sister allowed it, relaxing as she watched the show, and only tensing when Mabel carelessly pulled on a knot.

"We haven't done this in ages." the older Pines' girl hummed.

"Well, we should be doing this every day! Your hair would look great if I got to design it all the time!" Mabel giggled. "Boys would notice you for sure!"

Evelyn laughed, mentally picturing the monstrosities her sister would attempt. "I think I'll pass, Mabes. Thanks, though."

' _ **I doubt wearing a literal crows nest would attract anyone.**_ ' Bill scoffed. After a moment's pause he continued thoughtfully, ' _ **Maybe you should take Shooting Star up on her offer…**_ '

'Oh, hardy har har,' Evelyn rolled her eyes, knowing that Mabel wouldn't see it, 'I'd rather not have every person in Gravity Falls think that I'm following in Old Man McGucket's footsteps.'

The two sisters sat for another half hour idly, occasionally commenting on the show and the oddness of the local ads, or arguing over how many braids Evelyn should have in her hair (Evelyn was fine with a few, but Mabel had a more… voluminous approach of wanting to make twenty or more).

Eventually, the show changed from Ducktective to a talk show where a middle-aged woman was berating a young girl's life choices.

Evelyn stared in confusion as the host cried, "Girl, why you 'ackin so cray-cray?"

"But she's not acting 'cray-cray'," the confused teen mumbled. "She needed to raise money for her school trip; why shouldn't she make a school-run circus to help fundraise? I've heard of worse ideas."

"But she's not willing to hire professional entertainers, or trained lions!" Mabel explained.

"Those things would cost more money than she could afford! That's the whole reason she's fundraising in the first place." Evelyn waved one arm in frustration towards the tv, which was cheerfully telling her that 'Why You Ackin So Cray-Cray' would come back soon.

Mabel looked to her sister, changing the subject to avoid a long argument on why lions would be necessary for a circus. "What did Dipper decide?"

Evelyn shrugged, but she couldn't help but sigh at the situation her brother found himself in. "To hide. He's going to the arcade now."

The younger girl looked down in sympathy. "Poor Dipper. Hiding from Robbie, unable to face his fears."

Waddles, who had been sharing the loveseat with Mabel, oinked in agreement, and the oldest brunette shook her head. She knew he didn't want everyone to know that he'd chosen to hide, but she preferred that to actually trying to fight Robbie.

Stan, who had been sitting at the poker table and working on some new knock-off attraction while his nieces watched tv, spoke up for the first time since he'd sat down. "Fears are for chumps. That's why I don't have any."

He got up and walked to the cupboard (above the fish tank), presumably for the glue Soos had put there not too long ago. Evelyn watched in mild amusement as he reached for the glue, but was unable to reach, grunting.

After a moment of watching the somewhat pitiful display, Mabel asked, "You want me to go get a ladder?"

"We don't have one." he replied quickly.

Now Evelyn was confused. "Wait, why?" she asked.

Her uncle studiously avoided eye contact and fidgeted as he answered. "You know, studies show that keeping a ladder in the house is more dangerous than a loaded gun." His eyes became more incensed. "That's why I own ten guns, in case some maniac tries to sneak in with a ladder."

"Um… Grunkle Stan?" Evelyn began in concern. "Owning ten guns won't keep away ladders. Actually, I think the fact that you own that many guns is a bigger hazard…"

Mabel nodded, her attention taken off of playing with her sister's hair by their uncle's strange behaviour. Her eyes narrowed in suspicion, one that was beginning to rise in both of the sisters.

Stan immediately went on the defensive, only furthering the suspicion that was beginning to rise in the sisters. "YOU'RE the one who's 'ackin' cray-cray'!" He began to retreat, mumbling, "I gotta go now."

The sisters sat in silence for a moment, mulling over the strange behaviour of their great uncle.

"Why would Grunkle Stan be so weirded out by ladders?" Mabel asked her sister.

"Well, there could be a few reasons." Evelyn began logically. "He could have trouble getting on them because of sore joints, or he could have had an accident…"

The two sister's eyes lit up with a shared epiphany, and they finished in unison. "...Or he has a secret fear of heights!"

"It would make sense," Evelyn added. "I've never seen him on a ladder, or on things that take him more than a few feet off the ground."

Mabel nodded, a giddy smile lighting up her face. "We'll have to test him to be sure!"

"Nothing crazy though, Mabes," her sister advised, "I know you get carried away when you try to 'help' people, and I'd rather not see our uncle in the hospital because you gave him a heart attack."

"Pssh! I'd never go too far!" Mabel waved off her sister's comment, before seeming to have a moment of doubt, and glancing between Waddles and Evelyn. "We could always just leave well enough alone… Nah!"

Evelyn rolled her eyes at her sister's predictability, as Bill commented, ' _ **Shooting Star's not exactly the most aware human, is she? Did it occur to her that your 'Grunkle' will be angry if you try to mess with his fears? Not that I'm complaining; it'll be hilarious to watch!**_ '

'Mabel just likes doing things she thinks will help others,' the brunette explained, 'she's not malicious; just a bit misguided, but definitely sweet.'

Mabel tucked Waddles under one arm, and used her free hand to tug on her sister's hand. "C'mon, Evie! Let's make a plan to prove that Grunkle Stan has a fear of heights, and help him get over it!"

"...Will there be special sweaters involved?" Evelyn asked hesitatingly. It wasn't that she didn't like her sister's sweaters - they were actually very cozy - but she was already hot in her shirt and shorts. Wearing a sweater would be mildly tortuous, even if Mabel seemed unfazed.

"Of course!" Mabel cheered. "I already have a sweater idea for us, and I've been making you some in my spare time. It's gonna look great!"

Evelyn sighed resignedly. "Alright, lead the way…"

' _ **You're going to help Shooting Star with her half-baked plan?**_ ' Bill wondered.

Evelyn mentally shrugged. "Why not? I don't have anything better to do, and if I'm here, I can at least reign Mabel in from her more… dangerous ideas.'

' _ **I hope that you know what you're getting yourself into Little Bird.**_ '

Evelyn smiled. 'I do. At least it's going to be fun, right?'

-DaLD-

After thirty minutes of pitching ideas to her unmoving sister, Mabel flopped onto her bed, her head dangling off it as she gave the teen an accusing glare while upside down.

"Why not?!" she whined.

Evelyn, sitting on her own bed with her legs crossed, gave the younger girl a deadpan look. "Mabel, there is no way I'm letting you smuggle a hot air balloon. Where would you even _find_ one, anyway?"

"We could call somebody!" the young girl cried, her hands flung out in desperation. "What about a giant-"

"No." Evelyn cut her off sternly, though her lip twitched in amusement.

"Or we could tie him up and hang-"

" _No_."

"Alright, what if we attach glitter to his shoes and-"

"Mabel, I swear if you mention rocket heels one more time I will _not_ put on your sweater." Evelyn sighed.

Mabel shut her mouth with an audible click of her teeth, but let out an audible sigh. "You're no fun."

"You take that back." Evelyn got a gleam in her eyes as she pounced off her bed and grabbed her sister, aiming her hands for the soft spot beneath her sister's ribcage.

Immediately, the young brunette let out an ear-piercing squeal, struggling to escape her sister's hold. Her legs kicked into the air, and she began keening as she tried to escape.

"You win! You win!" Mabel gasped out. "You're fun!"

Evelyn released her sister with a playful grin. "There, now wasn't that easy -"

She was cut off by the force of a pillow hitting her in the face. Only a moment later, as she remained dazed, Mabel yanked the elder Pines' arm out from under her, ruining the teen's balance and taking her down.

Evelyn struggled a bit, managing to free her arm, only to have the pig waddle over and sniff her hand, before gently nibbling on her fingers. "Waddles, I am not a snack!" She yelped, her cry muffled by the pillow and the covers.

' _ **D'you want me to lend a hand, Little Bird?**_ ' Bill questioned, his tone amused. ' _ **I can always send out a pulse to temporarily paralyze them.**_ '

'No thanks.' Evelyn replied breezily. She'd found that after temporarily losing him, it was much easier for her to ignore his occasional comment.

'You're enjoying this!' she suddenly accused, feeling his amusement toward her current situation.

' _ **Enjoy it? Never!**_ ' Bill paused. ' _ **Alright, maybe this is a little enjoyable. Seeing you attempt to be unpredictable is funny! I knew I liked you for a reason.**_

With a sly tone, he asked, ' _ **Would you like some pointers? I've been told that I'm an excellent teacher…**_ '

Evelyn paused. She normally only followed his advice when she was in danger, but if they were going to get along, they should be able to listen to each other... She felt as though this was Bill's attempt to extend an offer of friendliness, and it couldn't hurt to accept.

She only hoped that he didn't somehow sense the slight blush on her cheeks from his previous comment.

'Alright.'

She felt his surprise at the ease in her tone, but he recovered quickly. ' _ **Okay Little Bird, you're first lesson in being unpredictable to your enemy is this…**_ '

The brunette listened avidly to his advice, and soon put their plan into motion.

She placed her hand within reach of Waddles again, attracting the pig's attention. Wiggling them, she slowly drew her hand closer to her body, the pet pig follow willingly.

Once he was close enough, Evelyn tickled his chin and rubbed the pig's stomach, causing the happy pig to roll over to grant her more access, snuffling cutely.

Just as Evelyn hoped, Mabel was completely oblivious to her sister's plan and immediately fell for the bait. "Aw, Waddles! You're the cutest pig in the whole universe! This is a perfect scrapbookortunity for our besties page!"

Forgetting her original purpose, the younger girl bounced off her sister's back for the dresser where she was currently keeping her camera.

Before her sister could realize her mistake, Evelyn jumped up and scooped the younger girl into her arms, forcing out a maniacal laugh as the young brunette squealed.

"I win!" she cried.

"Okay, okay, you win!" Mabel huffed. "Put me down!"

The moment her feet touched the ground, Mabel gave her sister a mocking glare. "That's not fair, you cheated! You can't use Waddles against me like that!"

Evelyn could tell Mabel wasn't mad by the way her lip twitched as she tried to stop a smile. Giving her sister a grin, she ruffled her sister's hair and asked, "Should we get back to planning?"

The younger brunette nodded vigorously. "I was thinking that we could use high heels…"

-DaLD-

' _ **This is the dumbest plan I've ever heard of Little Bird,**_ ' Bill complained, ' _ **and I've seen a planet where people made the Titanic 147 times and added another 'new' each time.**_ '

'Well, this was also the safest plan Mabel came up with,' Evelyn replied, though she filed the Titanic planet for a topic to be brought up later. 'Besides, I have a back up plan if this one fails.'

The sisters and their pig found their uncle asleep on the couch. "Alright, my sidekicks," Mabel said, standing in the entranceway. "It's time to begin Operation Get Stan Over His Fear of Heights! I came up with that name."

The girls made their way to their uncle's prone form and, sharing a smile, yelled, "HAPPY GREAT UNCLE'S DAY!"

Their uncle woke up with a jerk, and groggily asked, "Huh? Is it Great Uncle's Day?"

Mabel looked uneasily away. "Ha ha, yeah, of course it's not a day I made up." Evelyn lightly elbowed her sister, getting a glare from the small brunette.

"We got you a present," Evelyn smiled genially, and Mabel offered up the wrapped box.

They watched as Stan revealed two red high heels. They were Evelyn's, something her mom had insisted she pack- though she genuinely didn't know when she'd ever be able to wear them in Gravity Falls.

"High heels? You shouldn't have!" their uncle exclaimed with a half smile. He quickly dropped the smile and looked at them in confusion. "Seriously, wha- what? What is this?"

Mabel gave him a sly grin, her eyes narrowing and her tone becoming accusatory. "What's wrong? Are you saying these heels are TOO high? Do they make you _uncomfortable_? Hmm?"

Stan looked away, getting up and placing the red heels on the side. "Maybe."

"Admit it!" Mabel cried. "Admit you have a fear of heights!"

Stan scoffed and went to fix the antenna on the television, but Evelyn stepped in with a smile. "I'll fix the antenna, Grunkle Stan. You should just sit down and relax… It's Great Uncle's Day after all."

"That's the right attitude, kid." Stan said approvingly, turning to sit back down at the brunette fiddled purposefully with the antennas.

"And that's why you bought me these? You should be ashamed of yourself! And on Great Uncle's Day no less. But no," he added, making himself comfortable in his chair. "I don't have a fear of heights."

Looking at Evelyn, who was still moving the antennae around, he complained, "see, why can't you be like your sister? She knows how to treat someone on Great Uncle's Day, and - AGHH!"

Evelyn had stepped aside from the tv, revealing a program called 'World's Most Terrifying Skydiving!" As she'd expected, her uncle nearly fell out of his chair as he scrambled away from the tv, though the sofa withstood the abuse.

"Ah! Ah! Turn it off!" Stan cried.

Evelyn immediately turned the tv off, feeling both satisfied and a bit guilty.

' _ **That wasn't a bad backup plan, Little Bird.**_ ' Bill approved.

Evelyn shrugged mentally. "Well, I wanted a solution that wouldn't hurt him, and I know from experience that this channel plays a nearly twenty-four hour loop of this show, so I took a chance. Besides, if we'd followed Mabel's plans, she'd eventually end up breaking every bone in is body."

Mabel high-fived her on their victory, but the sisters' attention was pulled back to the present as their uncle righted himself and stared at them with sad, tired eyes.

"So I have a fear of heights. Is that really so cray-cray?" All of Evelyn's satisfaction flew out the window and she was filled with crippling guilt and sympathy. Even if it hadn't given him physical scars, the scare definitely didn't improve his mental state - or blood pressure, for that matter.

"No, it isn't." Evelyn mumbled guiltily, before rubbing her arm nervously and said, "I'm sorry, Grunkle Stan. Mabel and I were trying to make a point, but it was rude to meddle in your business like that."

Seeing the genuine remorse in the teen's eyes, Stan's own softened a bit. Evelyn had always been one to want the people around her to be happy, even as a kid. Mabel had followed after that trait, in an admittedly more chaotic way, but he still couldn't help but forgive them.

"...That was a pretty smart move, kid. I've taught you well." Evelyn smiled, though she could feel Bill's indignation.

' _ **I'm the one who's teaching you this stuff, not your old man,**_ ' Bill practically whined, ' _ **if anything he should be praising**_ _ **me**_ _ **for your accomplishments, Little Bird. Not himself.**_ '

'Well, I can't exactly tell _him_ that.' Evelyn commented sarcastically. Bill huffed but remained silent.

Evelyn hesitantly thanked her uncle for his praise, seeing that he was clearly still shaken from the sky-diving footage.

"Well, it was _my_ idea to give you the heels!" Mabel exclaimed.

"Y-you didn't think that was going to work, did you?" Stan gave his younger niece a dubious look.

"Believe me, it was her least dangerous plan." Evelyn sighed, and her uncle paled at the thought, before casting a relieved glance to the teen, knowing she was responsible for not having a near death experience.

"Well, now you two know. So give it a rest, will you? I'd like to watch something that doesn't try to stop my heart." Stan waved them off. Before Evelyn could make it to the stairs, however, her uncle uncomfortably coughed to get her attention. "C-could you, um… change the channel? I don't feel like getting up." he added quickly, trying to put on an air of bravado.

Evelyn saw through it, but decided not to comment, and went to fix the channel. It was the least she could do for what she'd done, anyway.

Once she'd fixed the antennae to broadcast a different channel, she gave him a smile, before walking up the stairs.

Hopefully, Mabel would leave it at that.

-DaLD-

' _ **Did you really think Shooting Star wouldn't want to meddle, Little Bird?**_ '

'No,' Evelyn sighed. 'But you can't blame a girl for hoping.'

The moment that the two girls had gone back to their room, Mabel had declared their need for a plan to stop their uncle from being afraid.

Honestly, Evelyn couldn't even pretend to be surprised. She knew her sister well enough to know that she wouldn't let it go, and if she was being honest, she was worried about her uncle and his phobia as well. His reaction had been extreme to a _video_ of someone falling; what if one day he found himself in a real situation involving heights? Stranger things have happened\ in Gravity Falls, and she couldn't help but be concerned, especially since they would be leaving him again at the end of the summer.

She knew he'd probably been managing his fear fine, since he'd lived at the Shack by himself since he'd bought it, but now that Evelyn knew about the weirder side of Gravity Falls… well, it would be better to err on the side of caution.

This was why the 17 year old found herself sitting once more on her bed, brainstorming with her sister and a pig.

Mabel had been relatively quiet as the two had brainstormed, and Evelyn was relieved that she didn't need to curb any possibly dangerous ideas, at least for a moment. She loved being there for her siblings, but it was surprisingly draining at times.

Finally, Mabel couldn't seem to contain herself any longer, and whined, "Ugh, Evie, how are we gonna get Grunkle Stan over his fear of heights?"

Evelyn shrugged, about to say something, but was interrupted by the arrival of her surprisingly confident looking younger brother. He walked into the room with something… bright and large following behind him. The moment it came in, the eldest Pines' found her eyes riveted on the strangest thing she'd seen all day.

The ...person following her brother was a giant, muscled character that looked like it came from a video game, with sharp, pixelated edges covering the strange man.

"Hey guys, have you met Rumble yet?" He waved calmly toward the pixelated giant. "He's my new bodyguard."

It took Evelyn a minute to process the pixelated figure in front of her; staring at him made her eyes hurt, like he was a walking optical illusion.

Rumble yelled, "The child gave me a taco!" as he bounced on the spot, constantly shifting and only furthering the eldest Pine's disbelief.

Finally, Evelyn began to speak up. "Wait, _what_?"

Dipper turned to his sister excitedly. "It's cool, right, I tried this move that was scratched into the side of the game, and Rumble came out!"

"I will defend the boy's honour from his foe!" the pixelated character cried helpfully, speaking in a disjointed manner.

Before Evelyn could even think of articulating a response, Mabel jumped up, cooing over the strangeness of the character's voice.

"Here, say these words!" the excitable brunette passed a slip of paper she'd hastily scribbled words on to the large man.

For his part, Rumble seemed fairly unfazed, and began to spout the words listed on the paper. "Effer...vescent! Apple… fritter! Ribo...flavin!"

"Mabel, he's not a toy," Dipper grumbled, annoyed as he pushed his twin away, "he's a fighting machine. I'm gonna get him to defend me from Robbie."

Evelyn frowned as Mabel asked, "Isn't that kinda like cheating?"

Dipper shrugged, "Guess so." Unperturbed, he began to head to the door. "Well, I'll see you after the fight."

Evelyn grabbed her brother's arm, stopping him from leaving, and just as quickly felt a sharp, pixelated fist hold her free arm in a painfully tight grip. "New challenger?"

"Ow!" Evelyn couldn't help but yelp, trying to tug her arm away. "Let me go, you pixelated giant!"

She could feel Bill seething in her brain at the aggressive gesture, before Dipper stepped between the two with a cry- "Rumble, let her go! She's not a challenger; she's family!"

The word 'family' seemed to click in Rumble's brain, because he let the brunette go, moving back into his pixelated stance.

Evelyn rubbed her arm as it twinged painfully. It would bruise, there was no doubt about it, and some of his pixels had nicked her skin, causing small red welts to rise. Despite all of it, the only thing the teen could feel was a surge of concern for her brother.

Dipper checked her arm and winced. "I'm sorry, Evie. I didn't know he'd do that."

"Dipper…" Evelyn looked down at him in worry. "I don't want you going with him."

"He's not going to hurt me!" Dipper protested. "He doesn't get normal social interaction, but he'll be perfect for scaring Robbie into giving up."

"You can't let other people fight _your_ battles, Dip." Evelyn explained. "What's happening with Robbie isn't right, but you can't just throw someone else into the mix! You don't know what he'll do to Robbie."

Dipper's eyes hardened slightly. He understood her point, but she didn't _get_ it! "Evie, I need to do this! And I'll make sure it doesn't go too far."

He turned and ran from the room before his sister could get to another point, Rumble quickly following behind him.

Evelyn sighed worriedly, rubbing her forehead before running a hand through her hair to calm her nerves.

' _ **That mass of squares is going to be**_ _ **ash**_ _ **if I ever get my hands on him!**_ ' Bill proclaimed menacingly. She could feel his anger rolling through her head. ' _ **He should**_ _ **never**_ _ **have touched you, Little Bird.**_ '

'I'm alright.' Evelyn assured. Her arm was a bit sore, but it was nothing she couldn't handle. 'I'm worried about Dipper though… should I go after him, make sure he doesn't get into any trouble?'

Bill groaned. ' _ **Do you ever think about something other than those kids?**_ '

'I do when one's not being followed by a pixelated behemoth with anger issues.'

The teen could feel bill calm down slowly in her mind. ' _ **Do you really think it's wise to leave Shooting Star on her own, Little Bird? Without someone actually checking in on her, who knows what plans she'll come up with in that twisted mind of hers.**_ '

Though Evelyn couldn't help but feel that he was just coming up with an excuse to not follow the creature that just attacked her, she had to admit Bill had a point. Mabel couldn't be left without supervision, especially when she was planning a way to get her uncle over a fear of heights. Without someone there to curb the more extreme ideas, there was no telling what would happen.

But she couldn't just leave Dipper alone either…

An idea popped into her head, and she pulled out her small phone, scrolling through the short list of contacts as she leaned against the door frame, ignoring Mabel's look of confusion.

Stan had given her Soos' number in case of emergencies - 'a light bulb isn't working, or something' - and though Soos wasn't always the most mature or aware person, he would protect Dipper if need be and not question the situation, which was perfect for what she needed.

She made a quick call, letting the repairman know about the situation and her concerns, before giving him the rough location of the fight. Once that was over, she thanked him and ended the call, feeling somewhat relieved.

Now the twins would be watched by separate eyes. Sensing that her sister was finished dealing with the problem, Mabel said, "We should focus on the plan, Evie! We're running out of daylight! Plus," she added, pointing to a light pink lump on the bed, "Your sweater's ready."

Evelyn knew she'd made the right choice.

-DaLD-

Unsurprisingly, almost all of Mabel's plans had included near death at least once. For some reason, the younger brunette seemed to think that dangling their uncle from something high up would scare him out of it.

Placing him in a terrifying situation to get him over his fear wasn't an impossibility, but she wouldn't let the younger girl know that. The last thing they needed was to accidentally murder their uncle.

"Why can't we hang him from the bell tower?" Mabel whined.

Evelyn sighed as she bandaged her arm, a headache beginning to form. "Because we don't know how sturdy the rope or the banister of the water tower is, Mabes. We can't risk our uncle's safety, and we're definitely not psychologists. For all we know, it'll only make him worse!"

Mabel waved her off. "Oh, _pshaw_. This plan is foolproof."

"We're not doing it, Mabel."

"Fine!" the girl cried in exasperation. "How about we just bring him to the top of the tower, and make him look down?"

"Mabel," Evelyn paused, trying to figure out what to say to her sister's demands. It wasn't a terrible plan in theory, but their uncle almost had a heart attack _watching_ a show with people at high altitudes… "We don't know if that will actually traumatize him too much; we should take baby steps, and then work our way up from there."

The younger sister crossed her arms petulantly. "What could we start off with?"

"Well…" the teen thought, before something occurred to her. "At the arcade, there's a game that simulates being a pilot. We can trick him into playing it, warm him up to heights gradually, and _then_ actually place him in a real situation with heights."

Mabel was about to protest, rolling her eyes, when she paused and glanced at something Evelyn couldn't see, an indecipherable expression flashed across her face. Her eyes glinting, she agreed easily, "Alright, Evie. We'll do it your way."

"Really?" Evelyn questioned dubiously. It was usually like pulling teeth to convince Mabel to do anything other than what she wanted…

The young girl shrugged. "Sure. It's like a compromise!"

A tentative relief flowed over Evelyn. Maybe, just this once, they could come to a painless conclusion!

' _ **You're so hopeful, Little Bird.**_ ' Bill sighed. ' _ **It's kind of sickening.**_ '

'Well, get used to it, buddy.' Evelyn couldn't help but joke. ' _You're_ in _my_ head.'

Bill grumbled, but Evelyn could tell his annoyance was mostly fake. "Put on your sweater, Evie, and then we can start our master plan!" Mabel exclaimed.

Evelyn obliged, quickly sapping her blue shirt for the light pink sweater, making sure it covered the bandages. She didn't want to distract her uncle and have him ask questions; how would she explain that it came from a videogame character without sounding crazy?

Mabel nodded, pleased at the end results of her creation. "There's a halo and wings on the side he'll see," Mabel explained, "that way he'll think we're innocent. But on the back, I knit devil horns and a tail! Smart, right?"

"Clever." Evelyn hummed in agreement, admiring the soft wool. It wasn't a terrible colour, either; though she despised neon pinks, the pale tone she was wearing was closer to her taste. Mabel knew her well.

"And mine has a scout's honour on one side, but the fingers are crossed in the back!" the excitable girl continued, proud of her genius.

Evelyn pulled her long hair though the neck of the sweater, then nodded to the door. "Should we get going now?"

"Yup!" their sister nodded cheerfully, sprinting to the door.

Evelyn followed at a slower pace, internally planning how she would keep her uncle from Mabel's extreme actions for as long as possible. She just hoped that the video game would be a good enough start to make a difference. Maybe they could move up to climbing a ladder willingly once he'd shown improvement?

The brunette reached the bottom of the stairs in time to hear Mabel's loud exclamation of "HEY GRUNKLE STAN!", followed by the sound of her uncle spitting something out. A wave of pity hit her for her uncle; Mabel was a handful at the best of times.

She walked into the living room and leant against the doorframe, observing silently as her sister continued speaking. "How would you like to go to take a walk nowhere in particular while wearing a blindfold?"

Evelyn's confusion rose. Why would they need a blindfold to bring him to the arcade? He would most likely join them willingly; the only coercion they'd need would be to get him to play the game.

Stan seemed fairly relaxed, given the circumstances. "Eh, beats just sittin' around here being old."

He got up easily, before a thought seemed to strike him and he sat back down warily. "Wait a minute… you're not planning on taking me someplace super high up, are you?"

Mabel's eyes were wide and innocent. "Grunkle Stan! I would never!"

She quickly slipped on her sweater, showing off the hand's symbol knit neatly into the fabric. "Scout's honour!"

Stan wasn't convinced and shot a dubious look to his other niece.

"She's not _allowed_ to do that," Evelyn gave him a reassuring smile. 'I'll make sure she doesn't."

Stan nodded, convinced. "Alright, let's go."

As he went off to change, Evelyn approached her grinning sister, questions bubbling on her tongue. "Mabes, why do you want to blindfold him? We won't need to hide the arcade from him; he'll hear the video games the moment we walk in."

Mabel shrugged. "I thought it would make it more exciting." She gave her sister puppy dog eyes. "Pleas, Evie, can I have this one thing? It'll make the plan more exciting and secret-y!"

Evelyn stared at her sister for one long moment before believing the sincerity of her sister's wish. Mabel liked things to be big and showy; if they were playing spies, Mabel would make her sister lower her from the ceiling on a rope to steal a teddy, or would actually give weapons to stuffies when they pretended to be explorers as children. Suffice to say that their mother had a lock on the knife cabinet installed early on.

If Mabel wanted to add to the secrecy of their 'plan', then who was Evelyn to ruin that enjoyment for her sister? Mabel was being very accommodating, and Evelyn could at least giver her this, no matter how strange it was.

"Alright." Mabel perked up, and Evelyn ruffled her sister's hair. "But only because you're being so agreeable, alright?"

Something flashed in Mabel's face, before she set her face into a joyful smile. "Thanks, Evie!"

They waited for their uncle together- Mabel somewhat impatiently, as he took his time getting dressed and ready. Evelyn grinned slightly, amused by her sister as she hopped from one foot to the other.

Their uncle joined them a few minutes later, looking somewhat hesitant as he knelt and allowed the small girl to blindfold him.

"Ow!" He grumbled as Mabel's fingers fumbled and pulled on a few hairs. "Watch it, kid!"

Mabel gave him a sheepish look, though he couldn't see. "Sorry Grunkle Stan!"

"At least she's not using you as a mannequin." Evelyn commented. Her memory of one of Mabel's earlier dabbles in fashion and dressmaking made her cringe. "There were more needles pricking my skin than holding the fabric when she tried that."

Stan chuckled under his breath as Mabel huffed indignantly. "I already apologized for that, Evie!"

"I know," she grinned, mussing up her sister's hair playfully, "but it never hurts to remind you sometimes."

Mabel rolled her eyes. "Let's just go! We are wasting precious sunlight, people!"

She grabbed her uncle's hand tightly and half dragged him to the floor, Evelyn following behind them calmly, though she did snicker at her Stan's disgruntled expression. Just as they all stepped onto the porch, Mabel began to pat her pockets down, letting go of her uncle to check her sleeves for something as she looked more and more distressed. "Where is it?!"

"Where's what, Mabes?" Evelyn asked. She put one hand on her sister's shoulder to calm her frantic movements.

"I forgot something!" Mabel cried, staring up at her sister with wounded eyes.

"What did you forget?" the elder sister asked, ignoring her uncle's annoyed huff in favour of calming the distressed 12-year-old.

The younger brunette gestured for her sister to sit closer, and once she'd crouched down, Mabel whispered into her ear, "I forgot my kit, the one I made for the plan! I had some paper, crayons, pencils, stickers, and my camera!"

"Well, we can just go back in and get it." Evelyn reasoned.

"If either of you two twerps/squirts don't start moving soon," their blindfolded uncle warned, his impatience at being unable to see growing, "I'm gonna go back inside and actually do something productive. The furry fish need to have their patches of fur reglued…"

Mabel's eyes gleamed for a moment, before she shot her sister a desperate look, "Evie, we don't have time to get it!" She paused for a moment, then smiled as she seemed to think of a solution. "How about I stay with Grunkle Stan and walk ahead, and you can go back in and get it?"

Evelyn stared at her dubiously. "Wouldn't you know where it is better than I do?"

Mabel shrugged. "I think I put it on one of the high shelves, the ones I need a chair to reach? It'll take you less time to get it!"

Glancing back at her uncle's annoyed form, Evelyn gave in with a sigh. "Alright, I'll see you in a few minutes."

Mabel cheered, jumping to give her sister a quick hug. "Thanks, Evie! You're the best!"

She quickly steered their uncle down the stairs and across the lawn and parking lot, waving back at her sister, leaving the teen on the deck to watch their retreat.

Evelyn shook her head at her sister's quirks, leaning against the wooden post. She wasn't in too much of a hurry, allowing herself to feel the light breeze as it ruffled her hair. She was already feeling a bit too warm in the light pink sweater, so any breeze was appreciated.

' _ **You can't just wait around forever, Little Bird.**_ ' Bill commented. ' _ **Shooting Star could be doing anything without your supervision, and since you seem to want your uncle to remain in one boring piece…**_ '

"Alright, alright, I get it. I'm going." Evelyn mumbled, walking into the house. She hummed a tune that had been stuck in her head, the sound echoing through the empty space and up the stairs.

"You know," she paused, taking in a moment to listen to the silence. "I have to admit that the Shack is relaxing when no one's home."

' _ **Well, you don't have Pine Tree or Shooting Star breathing down your neck. Having freedom feels nice, doesn't it, Little Bird?**_ '

Evelyn thought about it for a minute, absentmindedly admiring the sunlight streaming through the triangle-shaped window. "...I guess that's a part of it. I never really had time to myself at home… the twins always wanted to play with me."

She shrugged to her shoulders as she entered her room, absentmindedly looking around. She assumed Mabel had put everything in a bag, so she began checking the shelves; it would stand out -anything of Mabel's usually did.

"But it's not just that." Evelyn continued, "I enjoy spending time with the twins; it's just that there's a sort of… peace, in an empty house. I could do anything I want without being interrupted."

' _ **Knowing you, Little Bird, you'd probably just read or do something boring when you could be spending your time the right way.**_ '

"And what's the right way to spend it?" Evelyn questioned, amused.

' _ **Blowing something up, destroying priceless sentimental treasures, stick furniture to the ceiling…**_ '

"I feel like Grunkle Stan would be proud of me if I did most of those things." the red-eyed teen mused, barely holding back a chuckle at the mental image. "I'd finally join him in the con of the Mystery Shack and follow his 'ideal' lifestyle."

The conversation between them lulled as she continued her search for her sister's things, but it didn't feel uncomfortable to the teen. There was something comforting in the silence.

She searched for a few more minutes before she began to feel confused. Where could it be? She'd checked the lower shelves, and it wasn't like Mabel could reach the higher ones…

A niggling doubt started in the back of her mind as she continued looking around the room, and grew as she checked the highest shelf, the dresser drawers, and even underneath the beds. What if… there wasn't a bag?

"But why would she lie to me?" Evelyn scoffed out loud, rising up from the floor. Something caught her attention through the window, and she turned to look.

She could see the water tower from her spot near Mabel's bed, and something clicked in her head. Her sister's stare out the window, her easy acceptance of Evelyn's offer…

' _ **You have your answer, Little Bird.**_ ' Bill sassed.

"Oh, she is so dead." the teen growled, her eyes flashing in anger.

Evelyn was out of the bedroom in seconds. She had a crazy sister to track down.

 **-DaLD-**

 **Hey guys! I've been on vacation for my grandfather's wedding, which has made it pretty difficult to upload a chapter. My computer has broken down on top of it, and I had to quit my job at the sushi restaurant due to the horrible treatment from my boss and her daughter. Despite this, I am so sorry for the delay; it has always been present in my mind and I fully intend on continuing the story, to those who were concerned. I now have a fantastic job as a day camp monitor close to home, and it ends early enough for me to have ample time to write. I've written several chapters down already and am almost finished typing up the next one, so you should see it this week!**

 **I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! The ones to come will truly begin dabbling with AU changes, so this will be one of the last that will really remain canon. I would like to address one thing though from the last chapter: Evelyn doesn't necessarily have powers- or at least, no more than she had at her disposal before. Any and all abilities she has really come from Bill, and most aren't permanent. I find that it makes it a bit more spontaneous when she suddenly receives a short burst of power from Bill than simply have constant powers.**

 **Onto reviews:**

 **Moon Ninja Luna: Thank you for the book recommendations! I did well on my exams in the end, and I am very happy with my final marks. I've read Diamond in the Sky! It's a truly amazing fanfic.**

 **DannyPhantom619: I agree. Though Evelyn won't be completely kick-ass, she'll definitely not be just a simple damsel. I want her to really grow into a confident female, and as it goes along, she'll become more and more the powerful teen we want her to be.**

 **Glasses Writer: As I said in the AN, Little Bird does not necessarily have powers, but she is able to borrow what Bill has to offer. Any abilities Bill lends her will probably be just as insane as you could imagine, so that'll be fun! As for the twins listening to her, that will be a bit more hit or miss. There will be more AU as we go along, and the twins listening will play a big part in it.**

 **CharitinaX: I feel the same. I'm so excited to write the plot heavy episodes – we're almost there!**

 **Guest: I HAVE.**

 **redvintage888: I'm really sorry to hear it! You've been one of my oldest supporters, and I'd have loved to get your feedback. Though I don't understand what could have triggered it, as there wasn't anything more risqué in the chapter than usual, I respect the censors put in place by your guardians. I hope you're able to see this one!**

 **Fantasy Fan 223: Thank you so much for considering this a good fanfic! I toyed with the idea of Evie summoning something herself, but I honestly just wanted to get through the early chapters to get to the more fun ones (like Summerween), and I couldn't come up with a viable use of it. Plus, I wanted more Mabel/Evie sister bonding! I hope you enjoy this one!**

 **Stacked Waters: Thanks for the recommendations! They were amazing choices; I love PotO, and friendly Snape! You're absolutely right about the sibling thing; younger siblings (like Dipper and Mabel) want to prove to their older siblings that they're capable of doing things their own way, and this is one of the biggest reasons why the twins have such a hard time listening to Evie when she warns them against something. I hope you liked the sibling bonding in this chapter!**

 **CamiStark13: I can't wait for them to meet too! I can't promise anything about them meeting sooner – though it's not too likely based on some parts of the plot (to be revealed).**

 **Luckygurrl12: I'll check it out! It sounds interesting for sure. I'm excited for Dipper to find out too – it's going to be a ride, that's for sure.**

 **Crosslit. Heavens: Thanks for the favourite! I'll have to check out your stories sometime. The nickname thing will be brought up again soon… perhaps during Summerween? Evie's relationship with the twins will definitely shift as we gear toward Dreamscaperers, and afterwards as well, but that will be revealed in time. Dipper will also have questions about the necklace soon enough, but he's pretty set on doing some of his own research first. Your writing advice sounds pretty solid; tiring, but hopefully worth it! Thank you again! (Love the Mabel tank top!)**

 **lunamoon531: Thank you for your understanding! Cripes, that's a lot of exams; I hope they went well! I enjoy Evelyn becoming more independent too.**

 **Dot: Thank you! And who knows?**

 **nikole yu: Thank you! And I would love a drawing of Evie! I'd love to see your interpretation of her.**

 **Guest: Thank you for your incredibly kind review! It's nice to know that you enjoy the story and my writing!**

 **laurenalyse24: Thank you so much! I hope the wait was worth it, and I am sorry about the wait. The next chapter will be much faster!**

 **sweetpye: It's nice to know that it's clear, since I sometimes wonder whether it stands out. Thanks for reviewing!**

 **Guest: Thanks, and no, I have no intention of leaving this story behind.**

 **Thank you all again for your patience! Please favourite, follow, and/or review! I apologize for any spelling mistakes, and no flames, por favor! Love you all! – Aria**

 **P.S. I have a girl in my group that's name is Evelyn, and she's adorable.**

 **I don't own Gravity Falls.**


	37. Chapter XXXVI: Fight Fighters (part 3)

Evelyn ran down the forest roads, hoping that Mabel haven't managed to get too far in the time it took for the teen to realize what was happening. But ten minutes, especially when used by a resourceful girl like Mabel, may be all she needed. The water tower wasn't that far away, after all…

The brunette couldn't help but feel blinded by anger and hurt. Mabel had _promised,_ had seemed to realize the need to be delicate, and had _lied_ to her sister's face as though she didn't matter at all… How could Mabel be so _stupid_?!

' _ **You give them too much trust, Little Bird,**_ ' Bill said. His words were harsh, but he delivered them with a touch of gentleness, no doubt feeling her emotional turmoil. ' _ **You have to learn that you can't always trust humans, even your 'family'. Flesh bags always look out for themselves first, and Shooting Star and Pine Tree are no different.**_ '

'I… I see where you're coming from.' Evelyn thought, focusing on her breathing as she ran. 'Maybe I give them the benefit of the doubt too much, and maybe that should change… but I will never stop trusting them when it really matters. They're good kids, and their mistakes don't outweigh their strengths and values.'

Bill sighed. ' _ **I just think you trust them too much, Little Bird. and one day, you'll get burned for it.**_ '

'Well, that day's not today.' Evelyn thought firmly.

The trees sped by her as she ran, and the loud crunch of gravel beneath her feet was the only constant sound in her ears. Her sides began to ache the longer she ran, but she refused to slow down; she had to reach the tower before her sister did something stupid.

Finally, there was a break in the trees, opening up to the park the water tower stood in. From a distance, she could see two figures climbing the ladder, and she cursed.

She put on a final burst of speed, reaching the ladder just as Mabel took off their uncle's blindfold.

The brunette could see that her uncle was saying something, but he was too high up for her to hear properly. Mentally aware that she had failed to stop Mabel, Evelyn mentally decided on a new plan; get up there and ground Mabel until the end of summer.

With that thought in mind, the teen climbed the ladder quickly, glaring at the ledge that was rapidly approaching.

"Mabel!" she yelled, and heard a panicked squeak came from above.

Mabel peered down, giving her sister a guilty and sheepish look as she attempted a smile. "Evie! I… knew you'd find us!"

Evelyn pulled herself up to the platform, her eyes practically burning holes into her sister. "Mabel Pines, you are in so much trouble right now! You lie to me, blatantly do the _one thing I told you not to do, and then act innocent_? You can kiss your freedom and sleepovers with Candy and Grenda goodbye!"

"Evie, no, please!" Mabel's eyes were wide at the threat. "I'm sorry, don't take away my sleepovers-"

"I, uh, take it that this wasn't your idea, kid?" Stan cut in shakily. His hands clutched the railing tightly, and he seemed unable to stop looking down.

Evelyn softened immediately at seeing her physically distressed uncle. "I'm so sorry Grunkle Stan. I _told_ Mabel not to do this. I'd planned something a bit more relaxing-"

Her words were cut off by the sound of someone frantically climbing up the ladder.

"D-do you smell danger and hormones?" Mabel asked weakly, still reeling from her sister's ire.

Mabel's question was answered by the appearance of Robbie as he scrambled up the ladder and onto the platform. He plastered his back to the wall of the water tower, his expression a mix of panic and relief. "Finally! I'm safe!"

"Uh…" Evelyn took in the disheveled and fearful appearance of the older teen in confusion.

Robbie jumped, seemingly only just realizing that there were others there. He glanced at them with frantic eyes, and Evelyn wasn't sure if he was even in the right state of mind to recognize them.

Mabel wasn't as observant and, still feeling flustered and guilty, made a loud comment. "Hey, Robbie! Get your own water tower!"

The teen's panic seemed to escalate to a startling level at Mabel's piercing voice.

"SSSHHHHH!" he shushed as loudly as he could while remaining discrete. "Keep it down! He'll find us!"

"Who will find us?" the elder brunette questioned. Wasn't Robbie supposed to be confronting Dipper right now? Dipper, with his video game bodyguard…

Her question was answered by a booming, oddly pronounced cry. "CHALLENGER SIGHTED!"

As Robbie let out a high-pitched, girly scream, Evelyn felt a wave of urgency come from Bill. ' _ **Little Bird, you need to get off that tower right now.**_ '

She nodded minutely, beginning to make her way to the ladder and taking her sister's hand, when his voice added, ' _ **Oh, and push Broken Heart off as an offering to be on the safe side.**_ '

Evelyn could faintly hear the pixelated man roar, "YOU CAN HIDE, BUT YOU CANNOT HIDE!", causing her to pause as she processed the statement. Robbie looked like he was about to wet himself despite how stupid Rumble's sentence was, and Mabel seemed fairly uninterested, focusing more on quietly shooing the frightened teen.

Everything shifted a moment later, when a loud crack was heard and the water tower shuddered and tilted. Robbie began to fall backwards, his hands scrambling for purchase. Unfortunately, Evelyn happened to be near enough for his desperate hands to grab.

The brunette felt clammy hands clasp her wrist, and the momentum, mixed with her own unbalanced wobbling, sent her catapulting with Robbie off the ladder. Thinking quickly, she let go of Mabel and desperately grabbed at the wooden fence next to the ladder. Her free hand managed to grip the wood, no doubt giving her multiple splinters, and she shook her other hand out of Robbie's grip, her instincts telling her to hold on with both hands.

She heard her uncle and sister call out her name, along with a small distressed cry from someone at the base of the tower, but Evelyn didn't dare look down. She had to focus on getting proper footing.

As she scrambled and twisted her legs toward the ladder,she could sense Bill's rising panic, which only made her worse. Her hands shook from nerves and the shaking of the tower, and with Robbie holding onto the ladder right underneath her, there wasn't enough room for her feet.

Another shudder echoed through the water tower, causing Robbie to fall and Evelyn to shriek in terror. She glanced down for a split second and, seeing that Robbie was being held by the pixel fighter and not flat on the ground, her heart began to ease.

She managed to get her feet on a rung of the ladder, but the tilted angle of the tower meant that she was hanging against the force of gravity, and let out a panicked sound. Her arm still hurt from before, but she didn't want to fall; she doubted that Rumble would bother to catch her like he had Robbie.

' _ **Push yourself up, Little Bird!**_ ' Bill urged. ' _ **If you get your arms around the post, you'll be stable!**_ '

'I'll try,' she grimaced at the growing strain on her arms as she began to lift her feet up the rungs of the ladder.

Her right hand began to slip, and soon she felt it let go involuntarily, only to be grabbed by a much smaller hand.

Mabel looked down at her from the leaning position she had on the fence, tears springing in her fearful eyes. "Hold on, Evie! I'm so sorry, this is all my fault!" Mabel sniffed, holding tightly to her sister's hand. "I was the one who wanted to go to the water tower, but I should have compromised. Please don't fall!"

Evelyn tried to use the additional help to push herself forward, but Mabel wasn't very strong, and her grip wouldn't last much longer…

"I forgive you, Mabel." Evelyn grimaced. "And we'll talk about it once everything is over, alright?"

' _ **Is this really the right time for this, Little Bird?!**_ ' Bill questioned. ' _ **You're about to become a human pancake!**_ '

Her leverage on the post was beginning to give in, so she used the last strength in her strained muscles to jump forward and get a better grip. As her hand reached out, another calloused hand wrapped around hers, and her eyes met the shaken yet determined face of her uncle.

He began to pull, giving Evelyn the force she needed to push herself forward. With the collective help of her family, she clambered awkwardly back onto the tilted platform, her limbs splayed uncomfortably on the old wood.

She gathered her breath, before looking her uncle in the eyes. "Thank you, Grunkle Stan. you… saved my life."

Her uncle and sister collectively helped pull her back to the relative safety of the side of the water tower, before Stan replied, "Well, I wasn't just going to let you become a pancake, kid."

Evelyn gave him a shaky smile; she knew how momentous his action to move forward and help him was. He was terrified of heights, and the fact that he let go of the paralyzing fear and leave his safe spot to help made her feel a rush of pride and affection.

They all pressed themselves to the wall of the tower. Mabel, now calming down after helping save her sister, had no choice but to focus on the height of the water tower. "We… we're safe, right?"

Evelyn wanted to reassure her sister, but she was still calming herself down - with Bill's help - from her near fall, so she didn't think she could be very comforting.

Stan, however, had no such reservations. "Of course not!" he yelled hotly.

To the elder sister, he looked less frightened than before, and more annoyed with the question. "This thing is on stilts! High, high up!"

Mabel let out a whimper.

Evelyn shot her sister a comforting look, but couldn't do much else while they were stuck on the leaning and shaking tower. She could distantly hear the sounds of a fight, intermingled with electronic cries and… Dipper's voice?

The teen wanted to lean forward and see what was happening, but she could feel how unstable the tower was and didn't want to risk the fall.

' _ **You can wait until the ground stops shaking under your feet,**_ ' Bill sighed. ' _ **Don't let curiosity kill my Little Bird.**_ '

'I wasn't planning on it.' Despite her precarious situation, a bit of dryness managed to sep into her mental conversation. 'Believe it or not, but I'm kinda starting to get tired of nearly falling to my death.'

The three on the tower let out gasps of surprise as the sky darkened. An announcer's voice seemed to be speaking, but she could barely hear what it was saying… something 'ultra'? Evelyn's curiosity and concern was nearly overwhelming her instinct to stay in place, but she didn't trust the balance of the tower enough to walk around to the side where the fight was happening.

The three remained huddled on the wall together, waiting with shaking limbs for whatever was happening to end. They were so frazzled that Evelyn doubted her companions had noticed the shift in the weather; it was easier to notice the ledge that was arguably closer to killing them than what was happening in the skies.

Finally, the clouds dissipated and a strange calm descended over the area, the chirping of birds restarting, and… was that the sound of crackling fires, or was she just imagining it?

Mabel began to speak, her gaze riveted to the ground in terror. "I'm sorry, Grunkle Stan, Evie! I thought this would help, but I was wrong! So wrong!"

Evelyn carefully took her sister's hand, holding it in an attempt to offer comfort to the panicking young girl. "Mabel, you need to calm down. Everything's fine, alright?" With a squeeze to the small, trembling hand in hers, she continued, "Take a deep breath."

Beside them, Stan seemed to shake himself out of his frozen state he'd had during the chaos realizing the danger was over. "I-I survived! I survived and I feel great!." He patted himself down in reassurance. "Wait, let me do a cocky dance just to be sure."

As his incredulous nieces watched, Stan began a cocky, if disjointed, dance. Swaying his hips awkwardly, he made a tune to go with it until Evelyn loudly cleared her throat.

Not one to stop midway through something when others wanted him to, he decided to loudly yell out, "HAHA! DEAL WITH IT WORLD! STAN PINES HAS CURED HIS FEAR OF HEIGHTS!" He turned somewhat to address his eldest niece. "That felt good."

He made his way towards the ladder, Evelyn releasing her sister's hand to do the same. It was only as Stan began to make his way down the ladder that they both realized they were short one peppy, tiny brunette.

"Mabel?" the older brunette questioned just as her uncle asked, "You coming, kid?"

Mabel remained with her back plastered to the water tower, her eyes focused on the tilted drop before her with wide, traumatized eyes. "Uh-uh." She barely opened her mouth enough for the sound to pass through, clamping her lips shut immediately after.

Evelyn stared at her sister with concern and growing awareness as her uncle joked, "What's the matter, _you_ got a fear of heights, now?"

He was about to laugh, but paused when he actually scrutinized the 12-year-old. At the same time, Evelyn's eyes widened with realization, dread, and a bit of pity. Both observers, realizing the truth of the earlier statement, uttered an identical. "Uh oh."

"Dang it, Mabel." Evelyn breathed to herself. The event had definitely been traumatizing, and she had no intention of climbing onto water towers again anytime soon, but she'd honestly not considered the possibility that the event would be scarring enough for Mabel to develop a _fear_. Their summer had been full of scarier events by far!

Mabel only let out a whimper, unwilling to move.

Seeing that her sister wouldn't budge, Evelyn looked back at her uncle and lowered her voice. "Grunkle Stan, you can head down the ladder while I try to help Mabel move. If she sees that you made it down in one piece, she might be able to calm down a bit."

Stan nodded and began his descent down the stairs.

Turning back to her sister, the older teen slowly moved toward her, her hands splayed in front of her so that Mabel wouldn't be startled by anything. She'd seen her sister when she was terrified of something - that claymation film had _not_ been a good idea - and Mabel reacted to everything in the same way a frightened animal would when she was scared, so it was always best to be very slow and careful when dealing with her sister's fears.

Her sister glanced between the approaching teen and the fall, but remained frozen in place. Once Evelyn finally reached her sister, however, the teen gently cupped Mabel's cheeks, forcing the girls' gaze away from the sight of the ground.

"Mabel, honey, we need to go down the ladder." Her sister waved her head frantically, and the red-eyed teen sighed. "I know it's scary, but if we don't get down, you'll have to be scared of how high up the tower is for longer. It's safe to go down, I promise -Grunkle Stan's going down right now!"

Mabel still looked unconvinced. "D-don't wanna. It's too high!"

Evelyn was at a loss as to what she could do to get the small brunette down, but decided to start with getting her off of the wall. Kneeling, she wrapped her arm around her sister, holding onto her gently. She hoped that if Mabel needed to cling onto something to feel stable, she could be convinced to hold onto the teen instead - one step closer to getting her down the ladder.

After a long, quiet moment, Mabel loosened her grip on the wood panels of the tower and wrapped her arms tightly around her sister, her blunt nails jabbing uncomfortably into Evelyn's skin from the tight grip.

The teen winced lightly, but weathered it out; if this is what it took to get Mabel closer to the ladder, she'd accept any pain that came with it.

Mabel started letting out little hiccups, her frame shaking from fear. Feeling the wet spot growing on her shoulder,Evelyn felt her heart ache for her sensitive sister, and she began to rub the girl's back, gently shushing her.

"Mabel, everything's going to be fine." she murmured, running a hand through her sister's windswept hair. "We just need to go down the ladder, alright?"

Mabel shook her head frantically her face crushed against the teen's collar bone.

"Mabes…" Evelyn's tone was firmer now; she wasn't exactly thrilled to still be on the tower she almost fell off of.

' _ **Leave her if you have to, Little Bird.**_ ' Bill spoke up. ' _ **Just give her enough time to realize that her only way out is down, then she'll run home and apologize for how dumb she'd been when she planned this.**_ '

"I'd never leave Mabel up here alone… especially now that karma's come into play.'

' _ **That really was some irony, wasn't it? It's so perfect that I almost feel like I should have thought of it.**_ '

Despite her disagreeing with Bill's overall blase attitude, she could admit that the punishment Mabel had received in becoming afraid of heights was fitting; she just hoped the girl would learn from her lesson.

"I don't w-wanna let go, Evie." Mabel uttered, holding herself tightly to her sister. "C-couldn't you carry me down?"

Evelyn could see the genuine fear in her sister's voice and wanted to help, but even she could admit that trying something like that would be unnecessarily dangerous, even if it would help her sister. There were too many risks in carrying Mabel down.

"Absolutely not."

Evelyn tried to stand up and dislodge herself from Mabel's hld, but the girl clung tightly to her, flattening herself to her sister's waist and neck.

The teen didn't know what to do; if she tried to struggle against her sister's hold, she could risk one of them getting hurt or losing their balance…

She futily tried to pull her sister off one last time. "Mabel, please, I don't know if I'd be able to bring us both down safely!"

Mabel only clung on tighter. "I-I trust you, Evie. I don't think I can go down alone - I'll die!"

Bill cursed in the teen's mind. ' _ **Shooting Star is trying to put you in danger just because**_ _ **her**_ _ **plan backfired? Pull her off, Little Bird! You don't need to risk your neck for her!**_ '

Evelyn mentally sighed. 'She's holding on too tightly. If I try to pull her off with too much force, one of us could get hurt; we're literally standing on a tilting water tower, which is not the safest place to argue.'

'And…' Evelyn released a physical sigh. 'I'd never leave her hanging up here anyway. If I'm really careful, and she stays flat… it might work.'

' _ **You give in too easily for these kids, Little Bird.**_ ' Bill said seriously. ' _ **One day it's going to get you in trouble I won't be able to help you with.**_ '

Evelyn shook off the sense of foreboding his words gave her. 'Today isn't that day. But… I'll try to put my foot down more in the future.'

Bill grumbled unhappily as the brunette vocalized her plans to her trembling sister. "Mabes, you'll have to hold onto me as tightly as you can, alright? You need to be flat if I'm going to carry you down by the front." She knew this would be more difficult for her in the long run, but she was worried about Mabel being on her back; if something happened and Mabel got too scared or fell off her back, there'd be nothing to break her fall. At least with her caged by Evelyn and the ladder, the chance of her falling and not getting helped were much slimmer.

Mabel accordingly pressed herself as flatly as she could against her sister, her grip on her waist and neck tightening as the teen began to walk toward the ladder.

She carefully maneuvered herself onto the wooden ladder, the pocket of space between her body and the wood ladder comfortably occupied by her shivering baby sister. She felt like a mother koala carrying her young, and the mental image made her chuckle.

The climb down was slow and uncomfortable; her muscles grew sore the longer she spent climbing down the ladder, and Mabel would frequently nearly asphyxiate her sister with a strangle hold, forcing Evelyn to stop mid-climb to tell Mabel to loosen her grip.

The entire climb down was topped by Bill's occasional commentary on the unnecessary danger she'd put herself in and how 'dumb' their plan was. The teen found that she was getting remarkably good at ignoring him, to her amusement and his annoyance.

But in the end, the sister's made it down, Mabel eagerly launching herself onto the floor in joy. Evelyn shared a look with her uncle, before she quietly went up to him and asked, "Could you bring Mabel home? There's something I need to check on before I head back."

Stab gazed at her skeptical, but nodded, turning to the flopped out Mabel. "Alright, kid, stop hugging the dirt; you're gonna make people think you're some 'flower power' girl."

The young girl reluctantly dragged herself forward, and once she was close enough, her uncle grabbed her arm lightly to help balance the unsteady 12 year old as they started their walk home.

"Oh, and could you take the right path that cuts through town instead, please? It might be good for Mabel to use her legs again." Stan acknowledged the teen's comment with a nod, then the uncle and niece duo were off.

Once Evelyn was sure they were out of sight, she hurried around the water tower to observe the damage.

Strange, pixelated fires burned crisp trees, and everywhere bits of debris lay, nearly tripping the teen at times. She marched onward, her anxiety rising as the likely causes of the destruction narrowed; she had a growing certainty that it had been Dipper and his pixelated hitman.

She walked into what seemed to be the epicenter of the disaster just as a bruised and battered Robbie marched past her, sending her a fierce glare as he passed. Evelyn brushed off his sour attitude, focusing on finding her brother in the carnage.

"This is the last time I ask Soos to watch over Dipper for me, I swear…" she murmured to herself. It seemed that both pseudo-guardians had failed in their mission to keep the twins out of trouble today; next time, she swore she'd work harder to shut down their schemes before they went as far as they did today. People had and were going to get hurt if the twins didn't learn to respect boundaries and stop before things became dangerous.

' _ **I'm holding you to that, Little Bird**_ ' Bill commented, ' _ **it's about time you stood up to them.**_ '

'Are you saying that you don't enjoy the chaos they cause?' Evelyn tried to joke, needing a distraction from her anxiety.

' _ **Not when it comes at your expense.**_ ' His tone was surprisingly serious. He immediately went back to his usually flippant demeanor, but the change was noticed, and Evelyn resolved to look at it more carefully later. ' _ **Besides, their version of chaos doesn't have the same spontaneity mine does; theirs is normally because a stupid plan failed. I like it more when there's**_ _ **intent**_ _ **.**_ '

The brunette brushed his mini-speech off; she was beginning to get used to his shock-value comments. They still unsettled her at times, but she was coming to realize that he was something far from human - expecting human reactions from him was like waiting for the ocean to suddenly dry up.

Any thought of a retort flew from Evelyn's mind when finally she saw her brother, covered in bruises and cuts, being supported by Soos. He was more purple than pale, and the teen's concern sky-rocketed.

"DIPPER?!" The brunette barely contained her panicked shriek, running to the surprised 12 year old and dropping to her knees as she inspected his bruised face up close.

"E-Evie?! What are you doing here?" Dipper stuttered, chagrined.

He'd been hoping that he would have had a bit of time to cover up his wounds before he ran into her, but Evelyn had an uncanny ability to show up when she's least expected, normally when he was in the middle of executing a plan she'd never approve of.

"I was dangling off of the water tower." Said teenager explained, brushing aside her brother's confused expression to ask the question she needed to know; "But what happened here, Dipper? Why do you look like you were thrown in front of a bus?"

She gasped as a thought occurred to her. "Did Robbie do this to you?! If he did, I swear-"

"No, Evie!" Dipper rushed to stop his sister from spiralling. "Robbie didn't do anything,even when I let him. He was all talk - you were right about him."

Evelyn felt a flicker of relief; she didn't want to explain to Wendy why Robbie would no longer be able to walk properly - she knew it would upset her friend. Still, that left a question unanswered… "Who hurt you then?"

Dipper looked down with a wince, embarrassed. "...It was Rumble. Turns out lying to a superpowered pixel martial-artist is _not_ a great idea."

Evelyn sighed, gently brushing some hair away from a gash on his forehead. "Is he gone?"

Dipper nodded vigorously, before clutching his head in pain. "After he beat me in a fight, it was game over."

"Man, you should have seen it, dude!" Soos explained. "Dipper really stepped up and faced him like a man!"

Evelyn looked down at her brother, saw the pride shining in his eyes and couldn't help but smile despite the rough shape he was in. Her little brother was growing up, and though she felt nostalgic for his younger years, she was proud of the man he would become. Coming to Gravity Falls was possibly one of the best ideas her parents had, especially for Dipper's growth.

"That's amazing, Dip!" She hugged him gently, beaming when his spindly arms squeezed back.

Once she let go, she looked up at Soos, eyebrow raised. "Did you watch over him like I asked?"

Soos looked a bit sheepish. "Yeah, up until the point that he faced the chiselled pixel-man. He wanted to handle that on his own."

Glancing down at Dipper and seeing nod, Evelyn accepted the story. "Thanks for that, Soos. Mabel was a handful by herself; I don't think I'd have been able to watch over them both."

"What _did_ happen with you and Mabel?" Dipper questioned, remembering his sister's comment about the water tower. "And what about what Rumble did to your arm? Are you alright?"

"I'm fine; nothing bandages couldn't fix." After giving him a reassuring smile, Evelyn huffed out a breath. "As for Mabel's little adventure, it all started when she realized that Grunkle Stan was afraid of heights…"

Grabbing his sister's hand, Dipper limped the three over to Soos' truck, Evelyn's story of her incident with heights drifting past them on the wind.

-DaLD-

The rest of the day passed rather uneventfully for the Pines family: Stan went out to buy a ladder now that his fear had disappeared, Mabel took a nap to get over her own trauma, and Evelyn spent the better part of an hour bandaging Dipper's many cuts and bruises.

There had been little to do afterwards, so when Evelyn deemed that it was time to rest up for their shift in the morning, she was met with few protests from the weary twins.

After having a shower and changing into sleeping shorts and a tank top, Evelyn wished her siblings a goodnight before she slipped into her bed, ready to fall asleep.

Before she could close her eyes, however, a rustling from one side of the room caught her attention. She listened as soft feet padded across the floor and stopped in front of her bed, leaving only the sound of Dipper's soft snores in the room.

A small hand grabbed the teen's shoulder. "Evie?"

The brunette hummed in acknowledgement, turning to face the faint figure of her sister in the dark. "What's wrong?"

Mabel's eyes reflected her uncertainty. "...Can I sleep here with you tonight? Like a sleepover?"

"Why?" Evie asked.

"I keep feeling like I'm falling and it's scary."

Evelyn hardly had to think before she wiggled to make room in her bed and obligingly pulled back her dark blue comforter.

The smaller girl quickly clambered onto the bed, cuddling up to her sister's warm body while holding onto her stuffy for the night; a neon pink rabbit named Sir Cuddles.

After the two had settled, they lay in silence until Mabel whispered. "Evie?"

Evelyn kept her eyes closed as she responded, beginning to feel drowsy. "Yeah?"

"I'm _really_ sorry about lying to you. I thought that my plan was more fun, but you were right about it and I… just didn't listen."

The teen opened her eyes, the red orbs gazing at her sister in compassion. "I know you are, Mabel. But you can't keep getting away with doing dangerous things; you put other people at risk, not to mention the damage you do to yourself." Evelyn sighed. "I just want you to be careful next time and actually think before you act. If I say it's a bad idea, that means you need to think it over - believe me, I can be impulsive too. Just be more careful next time, alright?"

Mabel nodded, feeling chagrined, and curled up tightly to her sister. "Goodnight Evie. I love you."

Evelyn smiled and allowed her eyes to close, exhaustion taking over. "Love you too, Mabes. Goodnight."

-DaLD-

 _That night the Mindscape seemed more vast than ever to Evelyn, with no end to the birches around them in sight. Despite this, Bill claimed that she was getting closer. "_ _ **C'mon, Little Bird. you'll reach me soon, and then we can finally meet face to face!**_ _"_

" _What am I even supposed to do if I find you?" Evelyn wondered. "If you're in an actual cage. I don't exactly have a key to free you with."_

" _ **Believe me, if this 'cage' only needed a key, I'd have gotten out already. You're enough to free me Little Bird, and it won't cost you anything!**_ _"_

" _But what will I do?" She pressed lightly. She'd moved passed wary and towards curiosity the longer she'd been in the Mindscape, but the question was genuinely bugging to her._

" _ **I'll let you know when the time comes**_ _." His echoing voice assured her. He sounded closer to her - still distant, but approaching steadily._

 _She considered this progress, though she still didn't know what to expect once she reached the end of her nightly hunt. He was always so tight-lipped about himself and the circumstances that had led to him needing her in the first place; it was driving her mad with curiosity!_

" _Why are you trapped again?"_

" _ **That's a story for another day, Little Bird. All you need to know is that I got on the wrong side of an annoying human and he managed to pull the wool over my eyes long enough to keep me away.**_ _"_

" _A human? Where is he now?" Evelyn questioned as she trudged through the forest, paying no attention to the eyes in the birch trees. He'd told her that they were there so that he could see everything in their section of the Mindscape, and she'd long since gotten over the eerie feeling of being watched, to Bill's pleasure._

" _Oh, he's probably wandering dimensions right now." He sounded blaz_ _é_ _, but Evelyn could hear the undercurrent of annoyance._

" _How?" How could a human wander through dimensions? Evelyn felt overly curious, and it was better to kill time with a conversation as she walked through the dream forest._

" _That's enough questions." Bill interrupted. "How about I tell you about the dimension where everyone has eyes on their feet?"_

 _Knowing that he wouldn't tell her anymore, Evelyn reluctantly let go of the human that wandered through different dimensions, and listened as he explained another strange world._

 _She never noticed the fact that a distant part of the forest gleamed brighter than before as a certain dream demon spun his tale, his mood brightening at the ever progressing movement of his plan._

 **-DaLD-**

 **Hey guys! So I'd planned on having this looked over and submitted by the 14** **th** **, but… the kids I was working got me sick. It made me very tired after a day at work (I refused to take sick days), and I found it hard to focus on writing during this. For that, I am very sorry! I have a short coming your way this week as compensation!**

 **For those who are interested, I had an amazing time with my job (sick kids aside)! They were an absolute delight, and they seemed to really love me telling them stories, so I have plenty of original and folklore-y ideas drifting in my head for the future. As for this chapter, I hope you all enjoyed the sister bonding, even after Mabel pulled such a crummy trick; she's definitely learnt her lesson. How will her change in perspective alter the rest of the episodes I wonder…**

 **Onto reviews!**

 **Luckygurrl: Thank you so much, and that really sucks about your job; I hope you find a better one in the future! I hope you enjoyed this chapter!**

 **wyattharto8: Thank you so much! Mabel's definitely in a lot of trouble.**

 **Angelwings2002: Thanks! I'll try my best.**

 **mchap1154: I love writing Evie and other canon characters together and watching their relationships develop! I'm especially excited about Evie and Ford meeting; they have a lot in common. But how will Ford react to that?**

 **lunamoon531: I love showing how childish they can be; people sometimes forget that they're only 12, and they'll act like kids sometimes.**

 **Ms. Cipher16: Thank you so much!**

 **Fantasy Fan 223: I've wanted to play that game for ages! Once my computer is fixed up, it's the first thing I'll do. Thanks for the crazy kind words; to finish a bath early for my story is the most touching and kind thing I can think of! And thank you for the support for my old job!**

 **Guest: Yes, Bill will be showing up as a human in the story. Though Evie will meet him in triangle form as well, he'll have a good motive to change his form. After all, Little Bird** _ **does**_ **have a type…**

 **laurenalyse24: Thank you!**

 **JadeDragon100: It's a typo I haven't had the heart to fix yet.** **Thank you so much for the kind words! It makes me really happy to know you enjoy the story.**

 **Stacked Waters: Bill will definitely make up for Evie's lack of 'discipline', though she's gradually getting a bit more firm herself.**

 **sweetpye: Flute guy will make a reappearance soon-ish!**

 **HelplesslyCanadian: Thank you so much for this praise! I'll strive to make this story something worth coming back to! Love the username, by the way.**

 **Darkmaster10000000: The freeze ray is appreciated! It was an unintentional slip on my part, but it works!**

 **redvintage888: your reviews always make me so happy! It's great to know that the way Evie's placed in the story doesn't rub you the wrong way; it was by far one of the more difficult challenges while writing this. I hope you're having a great summer so far!**

 **That about wraps it up! I hope you guys have an amazing summer, and please favourite, follow, and/or review! No flames, s'il vous plait! A cipher will show up in the next chapter. – Aria**

 **I don't own Gravity Falls.**


	38. Chapter XXXVII: Little Dipper (part 1)

It hadn't been very long since Dipper had been beaten to a pulp by a video game character, but he'd been healing fairly quickly with Evelyn and Soos' help. His bruises were yellowing, his cuts were past the itchy phase of clotting, and his joints hurt a lot less when they moved; all in all, it was putting him in a good mood.

It helped that Stan had been more laid back with the chores and work since he saw the rough shape the 12 year old had been in, and Dipper was grateful for the break.

The Pines family had all taken the time to relax together before they needed to open the Shack, turning on the television to watch one of the strange and mindless shows of Gravity Falls when a niggling thought came back to the male Pines sibling, one he'd been thinking about for a while; Evelyn's necklace and her strange behaviour.

His sister had been noticeably off recently, though not necessarily in a bad way; she was a bit more mischievous and confident, and seemed to guess things beyond regular 'intuition' on some of their adventures. Add that to the frantic reaction she'd had over losing the necklace when they'd time traveled and her habit of holding onto it whenever she was upset, and Dipper's suspicions were piqued.

He'd looked through the Journal for any mention of cursed or enchanted jewellery, but nothing matched the description of his older sister's necklace, and the lack of answers worried him. Was the necklace slowly turning Evelyn into another person? Were the dreams she'd mentioned during the first two weeks of summer break somehow related? Was he just overthinking this?

What if the necklace _really_ was just a necklace and she was using it as a 'security blanket'? He'd had a similar terrified reaction to losing his Blanky when he turned 8, and Evelyn had helped him through that – maybe he could return the favour and get her to depend less on the necklace for confidence?

Even if the necklace _was_ enchanted, Dipper couldn't convince himself to confront her about it. She seemed more confident… happier somehow, and whether it was just Gravity Falls or the necklace causing this change, she seemed better for it. Would an enchanted necklace really be bad for Evelyn?

Still, there was something about it all that made him feel uneasy, so Dipper resolved to keep a closer eye on his big sister.

He was almost sure nothing was wrong… but sometimes being sure wasn't enough.

-DaLD-

After a rather surreal morning, complete with a random attempt at a scam from Gideon to steal the Shack, Stan decided to put the siblings to work, much to everyone's disappointment.

As Evelyn half-heartedly cleaned up around the Gift Shop, she couldn't help but sigh wistfully.

' _ **What's ruffled your feathers, Little Bird?**_ ' Bill teased.

'Well, it would have been nice if the money had been real.' Evelyn mused. 'I'll admit my hopes had been up for a moment.'

' _ **What would you use money for?**_ ' Bill asked. There was a bit of derision in his tone toward the money issue, but he seemed genuinely curious.

'Travel, definitely. I'd bring everyone on a nice vacation… maybe go backpacking alone.'

' _ **Little Bird, once I'm free you won't need money to travel across your puny planet. I can take you anywhere; the world will be our personal party.**_ '

Evelyn blushed slightly, her cheeks tingeing as his comment made her smile. 'Really? That… almost sounds too good to be true. Are you feeling okay?'

' _ **Oh ha ha, Little Bird.**_ ' Bill's tone was drenched in sarcasm. He seemed interested on pursuing the topic, however, and continued, ' _ **Why would you bring your family on vacation with you? You could be alone and do whatever you want – you could burn buildings and destroy civilizations through cleverly planned lies about existence!**_ '

The teen rolled her eyes, but was used to his comments by now. Sometimes, she honestly thought he was just yaking her chain and was saying things like that to get a reaction. 'I'd feel guilty, I guess.' She answered. 'If I got to go somewhere and see something beautiful and I didn't bring my family, I'd feel like I was taking a chance away from them, or like I was missing the chance to have an amazing memory with them.'

' _ **Or you could have that memory with yourself.**_ ' Bill reminded.

At his words, the brunette thought back to a daydream she used to have; her, with a backpack and gear, looking at a misty view from a mountain top. Sometimes the setting below would change from rainforest, to ocean, to rolling fields, but she couldn't deny the thrill she'd get when she imagined herself tackling that mountain herself and basking in the silence…

' _ **You could do that, Little Bird.**_ ' He promised. Apparently he saw the image she was imagining.

But she would love to see that sight with the twins too. Memories were sweeter when you had people to share them with, and to be able to experience the world with her family would definitely be memorable. She could imagine Dipper salivating over exhibits in British museums, or Mabel trying to pet a wild tiger in an Indian Tiger Preserve, or the three of them building sand people and sand cities on some Mediterranean beach… it would be something she would cherish forever.

'I'd rather make that memory with the people I love beside me.' she told him. '…Though the occasional me-trip wouldn't hurt.'

Bill's silence seemed mildly incredulous, before he let out a dramatic breath. ' _ **I don't understand you, Little Bird.**_ '

Before they could continue their conversation, Evelyn's attention was pulled to the familiar sounds of the beginning of an argument.

"It only makes you taller than me in Canada!" Dipper complained loudly to Soos and a smug Mabel.

With a sigh, the teen stopped what she'd been absentmindedly doing, walking over to the group and placing herself between the two twins.

"What's going on?" Evelyn intervened, hoping to stop a fight before it could begin.

Dipper turned to his sister in exasperation. "Soos says that Mabel's taller than me by a millimeter, and Mabel's acting like it's a big deal."

"Evie, this means that I'm evolving into the alpha twin – superior in every way!" Mabel cheered to her unimpressed sister.

Evelyn sighed. "Mabel, there's no correlation between height and superiority. Think about it: Robbie's taller than all of us. It means nothing – he's not more mature or better, he just had the genes to make him taller and ate well as a kid."

"Then why would it happen to me first and not Dipper? We mostly ate the same things! It has to be a sign!" Mabel exclaimed, causing Dipper to groan in annoyance.

"Girls usually develop earlier than boys do." Evelyn ran a hand through her hair, feeling slightly uncomfortable. "…remember the puberty talk?"

Both twins blanched in remembrance. Their parents had taken it upon themselves to begin to explain the basics to the twins last Christmas and Evelyn had had to do damage control, despite the fact that their parents had avoided the more… uncomfortable topics, like where babies come from and puberty for the opposite gender.

Evelyn had avoided being on the receiving end of that discussion, since the twins had been particularly needy 7 year olds with a penchant for getting into trouble at the time she was supposed to have 'the talk'; a fact the twins always resented her for. She'd only had to deal with the painfully awkward class in school, and her parents had found it sufficient enough to avoid the conversation altogether.

The teen shook her head, pulling herself away from the memories to refocus on her siblings. "My point is, Mabel, you're going to grow first, but in all likelihood Dipper will probably outgrow you someday."

Dipper smiled gratefully at the assurance, but his twin wasn't taking the information as well. She frowned for a moment, taking in Dipper's height, before she began to antagonize him, her joking tone intermingled with a bit of hurt. "Y'know Dipper, I've always wanted a little brother. Who knew I already had one?" she cackled at her own joke. "Yeah!"

Dipper glared at her. "Didn't you hear _anything_ Evie just said?"

Before the two could really begin arguing, they were interrupted by their uncle, newly woken from his nap. "I was awoken by the sound of mockery. Where is it? Show me the object of ridicule!"

Jumping at the new ally, Mabel proudly proclaimed, "I'm taller than Dipper!"

"By ONE millimeter." Her twin rebuked defensively.

"Hey, hey, don't get…" Stan started seriously, but his façade quickly began to crumble as he tried to stop himself from laughing, " _short_ with your sister."

He began to laugh as Mabel continued the gag. "Now Grunkle Stan, I hope you don't think _little_ of him."

"Guys…" Evelyn warned, seeing how her brother was wilting under their taunts.

Stan ignored her. "Ha ha! Ya! And, and, uh… he's short!"

Mabel and her uncle dissolved into laughter as Evelyn cried, "That wasn't even a clever one!"

Dipper's dejected pose finally caught Soos' attention as well, and he began to feel guilty for bringing attention to the height difference. "Dude, maybe you should lay off a tiny bit."

Evelyn smiled at Soos, happy to have an ally, but Stan's selective hearing made things worse. "Ha! Tiny! Soos is in on it now!"

As Soos tried to explain himself – "No no, that's not what I meant"- Dipper stomped off, keeping his eyes close to the ground. Evelyn took a few steps forward and reached for his shoulder, hoping to comfort him, but the moment she touched him he turned in resignation. "Evie, I think I'd like to be alone right now."

Despite feeling stung by his rejection, the teen let him go. She supposed everyone needed alone time, and if Dipper genuinely didn't want her to comfort or council him… she couldn't push herself on him about the issue.

It sucked to admit it, but Bill was right.

' _ **Obviously, Little Bird.**_ ' Bill commented. ' _ **If I were wrong about something, then cosmic order would sudden by become utopic.**_ '

Evelyn rolled her eyes, too annoyed with her family's continued insults at Dipper's expense to respond. "If you're going to laugh it up, Grunkle Stan," she glared, "then I hope you don't mind me ending my shift early today."

Before her uncle could even process what she said, the brunette was out the door, the wood banging behind her as she took out her phone and entered in a familiar number.

"Wendy? I think I'm in the mood for milkshakes."

-DaLD-

Evelyn sat on one of the bar stools of the Diner, her head resting on her folded arms as she groaned. Beside her, Wendy sipped on a strawberry milkshake with a grin, enjoying the outpouring of emotion from the older teen.

"I mean, I get that siblings tease each other, but couldn't Mabel see she was taking it too far? And then Grunkle Stan had to jump on the bandwagon!" The brunette banged her head lightly on the counter. "Sometimes, I hate trying to mediate their issues; they should know better!"

"So don't." Wendy shrugged easily.

"What?"

"Don't try and mediate for them, Lynnie." The redhead smiled. "I used to always get so caught up in my brothers' issues, and it was crazy annoying. Then one day, it just hit me – I can't just go around fixing my brothers' mistakes. It's not my job."

Evelyn hesitated. She knew that Wendy was right in a way, but it was easier said than done to stay out of her siblings' business. She'd always been involved in their lives, been there when they needed her and helped them learn from their mistakes when they were younger. It didn't help that their 'business' tended to involve the supernatural since they came to Gravity Falls… was her situation really as cut and dry as Wendy's was?

' _ **Listen to Redhead,**_ ' Bill said. ' _ **I've been telling you to stop interfering with your siblings for ages.**_ '

'Yeah, but you want me to essentially abandon them and take care of myself from there.' Evelyn shot back mentally; her tone held no fire, but she felt annoyed at the mutual ganging up of her two friends. 'I can't leave them alone – who knows what would happen if I don't step in.'

Seeing the hesitancy on her friend's face, Wendy unknowingly addressed the teen's inner thoughts. "You don't have to avoid them forever, just give your family time to work it out themselves. If they can't do it themselves, _then_ you can work your magic, Lynnie." She winked.

Evelyn bit her lip. "I guess… I just don't know how to avoid getting involved. I've _always_ been involved."

The redhead shrugged. "You'll figure it out. My dad still makes me talk to my brothers when they fight since he thinks he's 'too manly' to do it right."

They both laughed, imagining the large, burly man awkwardly trying to connect to his children outside of physical activities.

There was a comfortable pause as they sipped on their milkshakes and thought to themselves.

Eventually, Wendy broke the calm. "So, uh… how's Bill?"

"He's good." Evelyn smiled awkwardly. It still felt weird to hear someone talk about the voice that had until recently been just hers in her head. Still, she appreciated the ability to talk to _someone_ about him. "He's been agreeing with what you said about the twins; honestly, it's his biggest complaint."

"And, he can just…" the redhead leaned in closer, careful to not be overheard. "Hear everything we're saying right now?"

"Yeah, at the moment." The older teen whispered sheepishly.

' _ **It's not like I'm remotely interested in Redhead's 'family issues' and drama with other flesh bags, Little Bird,**_ ' Bill said, ' _ **there are a billion things I'd rather be doing.**_ '

"He doesn't always listen in though." The teen translated. "He's not that into girl talk."

Wendy smiled, somewhat relieved. "Cool. Man, it must suck to have a guy in your head all day listening in."

"It's not always the easiest, but it does have its perks." At her friend's look, Evelyn elaborated, "If I'm ever feeling upset, he's the first to know, and he's not a terrible comforter. Plus, he gives advice when weird and supernatural stuff happens, and he's not always there, so I get some time to myself."

After giving the teen a strange look, Wendy took a long sip of her straw before turning to fully face her friend, her voice low. "You know, until you got here, I never really noticed anything supernatural in this lame town. I mean, this place is weird, but not 'spaceship-in-a-wardrobe' weird. It's like you guys brought the creepy stuff with you."

"You _never_ saw anything weird here?" Evelyn questioned, brow-raised. She'd never seen anything supernatural either when she'd visited as a child – at least, not that she remembered. But she'd had so many supernatural encounters since the beginning of the summer that she found it hard for people year-round to not know about the creatures all around them.

Being here had made her realise how ingrained the supernatural and strange was in the town; she'd befriended a ghost, and had seen herself as a baby through time travel! It was like everything weird concentrated on this one spot in boring, Gravity Falls Oregon.

' _ **You're not far off, Little Bird. And if you continue to push, you'll figure it out eventually, and it might not end the way you want it to.**_ ' Bill commented, but remained quiet after her mental prodding.

Seeing that his comments were a dead end, she turned her attention to Wendy, who sat still in deep concentration. "I… I can kinda remember something from when I was really young, but I'd always thought I'd dreamed it."

"And?" Evelyn prompted.

"Well, when I was like five, I remember going into the woods and finding some pretty rock in the middle of a small clearing, but when I grabbed it and pulled, a deep voice yelled at me that it hurt. I ran home right after."

"That sounds pretty supernatural to me."

"Yeah, I guess that is." The redhead paused. "That, or I was a crazy kid."

"That could also be it." The two grinned, Evelyn's heavy mood forgotten.

They continued to talk about whatever came to mind: Robbie (he was being too clingy for Wendy's taste); the new store that was opening a town over (it was going to be too popular to bother visiting, according to Wendy); and the camping trip Wendy had been on.

Evelyn found that topic particularly amusing, since it all came down to one complaint with her friend; mosquitos.

"Dude, they just kept biting me _everywhere_!" Wendy moaned, scratching her arm absentmindedly. "They were super bad at night too; we'd be careful and close the tent, but somehow we'd all wake up with huge bites the next morning. Those bites hurt the worst."

Evelyn shuddered. Mosquitos, or anything that sucked blood for that matter, were some of the worst creatures in existence.

' _ **You should be happy you don't live on a parallel Earth then,**_ ' Bill laughed, ' _ **giant mosquitos enslaved the human race and have daily blood drives to feed the mosquito population.**_

Sensing Evelyn's unease at the 'enslaved human race' bit, he added helpfully; ' _ **The humans don't have it bad, Little Bird. They're fed truck fulls of food to keep their blood appetizing.**_ '

'Somehow, that doesn't help.' The teen thought wryly.

Leaning close to Wendy, Evelyn murmured; "Bill says there's a planet full of giant mosquitos in another dimension." She decided not to include the 'human' part; she enjoyed having Wendy involved, but her friend didn't need to know all the details.

Wendy looked disgusted. "I've never been so grateful to be born on _this_ earth."

Glancing at the clock hanging on the Diner's worn wall, Evelyn sighed and began to get up. "I should probably get going. If I stay out too long Grunkle Stan will think I'm planning a mutiny or something, especially after my exit earlier."

Grabbing a small satchel she'd borrowed from Wendy to hold her wallet, the teen cleared up her clutter and began heading for the door, her friend on her heels.

"Let me know what happens later." Wendy urged. "Man, I'd love to see Stan lose his cool and actually feel sorry about something."

Opening the door, the brunette shrugged. "He _does_ feel sorry at times; he's just terrible at showing it. I'm hoping this helps in some way."

"Good luck with that, Lynnie." Wendy grinned. "Well, I'm going off to hang out with Tambry. Have fun with your 'family talk'!"

Evelyn left with a wave, feeling more confident after her vent to Wendy. Things seemed possible, approachable when they were discussed between friends, and it was necessary for her to have that feeling if she was going to have a serious talk with her family and work things out before they took a turn for the worse. Then she could start trying to regulate her involvement and finally take that painful step back and let her siblings learn to work things out themselves.

It seemed like a fairly solid outline, as far as plans went.

-DaLD-

Evelyn came home only to be greeted by the twins fighting over a flashlight in the front yard.

She'd run into Gideon on the way, shooing the creepy kid off their property with threats of calling Wendy's gang of friends (they both knew he wouldn't stand a chance against a group of teens), and she was still feeling a bit off-kilter from the encounter when she saw the twins.

She had no clue what they could be fighting over a flashlight for; she'd expected to see them ignoring each other or bickering about height once she'd gotten back, but this was something that had never crossed her mind. She hesitated before running in to help, looking for the best angle she could break the fight up with.

However, all it took was for one beam of light hitting Mabel's hand and enlarging it for the teen to run forward, adrenaline kicking in at her sister's shriek. She wrenched the light out of her brother's hand.

"What is going on here?!" the teen yelled, panic bubbling inside. What if the damage was irreparable, and Mabel had to live the rest of her life off-balanced?

Sensing his older sister's confusion and fear, Dipper calmed down. "Relax, Evie, I can fix it. The flash light can make things smaller too, you just need to adjust the crystal."

Fiddling with the end nervously, Evelyn responded, "Like this?"

Turning the light onto the ground in a trial, the light beam hit a blade of grass, making it triple the size. The teen let out a small shriek of surprise.

"No, no the other way!" Dipper quickly directed. If he didn't know how tense his sister was, he'd probably have laughed; he'd made the same mistake while figuring out the crystal. He knew she wouldn't appreciate being laughed at right after catching the two fighting with a height-altering crystal.

Evelyn dutifully flipped the crystal and shrunk the blade of grass before turning the light on her sister's hand.

"Now can I have it back?" Dipper looked up hopefully, reaching for his invention.

"No, I want it!" Mabel cried, jumping between her brother and sister in an attempt to reach the flashlight.

The teen held it high above her head. " _Neither_ of you are getting it. I don't know where you got this or why you have it, but if you're going to misuse-"

"I wasn't misusing it!" Dipper cried. "I was just using it so that Mabel and I would be the same height again."

"Yeah, and then you used it to make yourself taller!" Mabel shot back.

"Only because you made fun of me!"

"Well, I'm the taller twin – the Alpha twin!"

"Enough, you two!" Evelyn scolded. "You guys need to calm down and actually _talk_ about this. There's something that's more than just height issues that you two need to get through, and you're not going to mess around with a height-altering stone instead."

The twins glanced at each other before resolutely looking away.

'Looks like it'll be a while before that talk.' Evelyn mused. Still, the brunette needed to do something to make sure they didn't just sneak the flashlight away and continue their fight.

"I'm going on a walk, and I'm taking the flashlight with me." Seeing her brother's dismay, she added; "I won't break it or anything, but I want you two to actually talk and resolve things. Maybe a bit of time away from the crystal will help you remember that you're still siblings, height difference or not."

Before the twins could protest, Evelyn put the flashlight in her bag and walked back down the gravel road. She'd been looking forward to curling up in her bed with a book, but having the crystal anywhere near the twins was asking for trouble, and Dipper would be heartbroken if she took it apart to avoid the mayhem.

A walk away from the Shack would be the easiest way to avoid a misadventure.

-DaLD-

Walking through the streets of 'downtown' Gravity Falls in her own self-imposed exile wasn't as bad as she'd previously thought. There was plenty of strange things happening with the locals to be interesting, and Bill's near constant commentary only added to her amusement.

' _ **That failed journalist is terrifying enough to fit in with some of**_ _ **my**_ _ **friends!**_ ' Bill laughed. ' _ **He must live a life filled with constant, unnecessary emotional agony; it's great!**_ '

'That's not a nice thing to say; I feel bad for him.' Despite her genuine sadness for the journalist, she couldn't help but continue to hold a grudge for his part in her and her 'siblings' near death experience.

' _ **I'm just telling the truth,**_ ' he continued, ' _ **he's so pathetic that even he admits that his existence is terrible!**_ '

'Hush.' She mentally scolded. 'Compassion it a good thing to have.'

' _ **And even better to exist without!**_ '

Evelyn sighed. She knew that Bill put up a front of an unaffected, remorseless being, but… she couldn't help but try to see past that. She caught occasional snippets of his emotions, especially recently, and she could sense there was more to him than that. Well, she _hoped_ that there was more to him than apathy and an unhealthy love for chaos. She knew she couldn't change him, and she honestly hated the idea of trying to change a person - it had happened to her one too many times growing up - but maybe she could get him to open up and address other feelings. There was nothing wrong with having emotions, even if they make people vulnerable.

Now if only she could show him that…

The brunette was so busy thinking of potential emotions she could get through to Bill that she didn't notice the small, white haired figure angrily muttering to itself until she crashed into it. Both figures staggered back, the smaller one falling over from the brunt of the collision.

Evelyn managed to take a step back to avoid keeling over, only to trip on the uneven and poorly cared for cement sidewalk.

She fell with a clatter, her bag that had been slung over one shoulder sliding off and landing beside her.

"You!" a shrill voice cried.

The teen blinked and faced the familiar sight of Gideon Gleeful, the boy looking significantly more ruffled since she'd sent him off nearly an hour ago. The boy glared heatedly at the brunette, jumping up as quickly as his small, round body would allow, and pointed an accusing finger at her. "You ruined everything for me, foiled my plans of taking the Shack, and continue to remain a thorn in my side! Why can't you just-just disappear, you freak of nature?!"

His rant seemed to come out of nowhere, leaving the brunette in shock, and Bill seething. She saw the telltale signs of a child on the verge of a temper tantrum, with his shaking body and red-rimmed eyes, so she chose to not take the attack seriously; he was probably just venting all his anger out onto the closest Pines.

"Uh, I'm sorry for bumping into you?" she stared at him, wondering how close he was to rolling on the ground and flailing his limbs like a toddler. There definitely wasn't any love in her heart for Gideon after the stunt he pulled over Mabel –along with his newfound desire to take the Shack – but not being shown true affection and discipline as a child would inevitably look something like Gideon, or Pacifica Northwest; she wished, he'd been raised in a better environment.

Then again, staring at his red face, it didn't seem like much of a stretch to imagine that he could simply be born that way as well…

"You will be! Once I've exacted my revenge-" the boy cut himself, his eyes focused on the ground beside her. "Well now, what do we have here?"

His sudden switch from roaring anger to polite and sly curiosity alarmed Evelyn, who looked in the direction he was focused on.

It was just her bag. But why would that call any attention from –

His burst of speed surprised her, leaving her to watch as he dove for her bag. She reacted a second too late, reaching for the bag just as his pudgy hands gripped it and backpedaled.

"My my," the pale boy preened, "let's see what the ' _perfect_ ' big sister carries in her satchel."

Evelyn tensed, hoping he wouldn't notice the flashlight.

Diving forward, she told him. "You give me my bag right now, Gideon, or I'll have a talk with your father!"

"Aw, he'd never mind none." Gideon managed to dance out of her way, riffling through her bag. "Books, a wallet, your phone? My, you're boring and predictable."

Evelyn frowned at him. "Then give it back." She hoped that if she calmed down at acted unaffected by his search, he'd lose interest. Acting aggressive or nervous would clue him into the bag's contents being more than they appeared; she'd learned that the hard way with the twins. She'd rather he lose interest than her having to physically take the bag from him - she didn't want to be violent around a kid, even if that kid was Gideon.

Finally he stopped fiddling, seemingly finding something of interest. "A flashlight?"

Evelyn's blood filled with ice.

Pulling it out of the bag with mild disinterest, the boy poked at the crystal awkwardly placed in its center. "Why on earth do you have a crystal on here? That doesn't seem very effective-"

Evelyn's body tensed as she reached for the flashlight, but Gideon had already flicked the switch, the beam of light directed toward a fire hydrant. The hydrant immediately shrank to minuscule proportions, and quickly disappeared altogether as water gushed from the open pump.

The teen cursed under her breath while the boy's eyes shone, awe and surprise showing on his face. He glanced down at the light source. "…My word."

Both Bill and Evelyn had had enough - this was getting too far for her to feel squeamish about manhandling a snoopy kid. She dove toward the boy, catching him off guard and sprawling them both onto the pavement as she tried to grab the handle from him.

Her fingers accidentally brushed his side, and Gideon squirmed, giggling before screeching "Get off me!" while trying to keep his new found away from the taller teen. Eyes glinting with rage and triumph, he turned the flashlight on the teen, the beam hitting the brunette squarely in the chest.

All Evelyn could do was stare in horror as her opponent became larger and larger, her body shrinking and leaving her at the mercy of the new giant.

 **-DaLD-**

 **Hey guys! Sorry for the late update; I was planning on having this updated last week, but… I got some terrible news. My two year old cousin passed away last Sunday, and it's been… hard to deal with it. The update slipped my mind, but I'm posting it now with the promise that you guys won't have to wait so long for the next update again. I hope this chapter will be enough until I can update again! The funeral is this Sunday, so I thought a bit of levity would help with everything.**

 **Onto reviews:**

 **Fantasy Fan 223: Thank you! It's good to know I'm decent at writing intense scenes… it'll definitely come in handy later. I was very happy with the Mabel/Evie scene too; I feel like she's always bonding with Dipper, and I wanted a moment for the sisters for once. And she is serious about her threat on the sleepover thing, don't worry! I kept Dipper's development because it felt too important to remove from the story; he needed to learn a lesson, and having Evie jump in and constantly fix everything wouldn't help him.**

 **I haven't read the graphic novel since I haven't managed to get my hands on a copy, but depending on what it ends up being about, I'd love to incorporate it into the story!**

 **Starrat: Thank you!**

 **SupremeDramaOverlord: Thanks so much! This is seriously such a kind thing to say, and it means a lot to me. I strive to make the story unique despite it going over similar scenes, though over time it will gradually become more of its own thing.**

 **Ms. Cipher16: Thanks! I love the story about the Winchester mystery house, and it's such an interesting last name that I had to incorporate it into my profile name. Your compliment means a lot! I'd love someday to be a professional writer, and this story is definitely helping me polish my style of writing (which is one of the reasons most people write fanfics other than for their general love of the fandom). :)**

 **DannyPhantom 619: So did I; it's something I want to address more frequently in the story.** _ **Bill**_ **called her out on it in canon, and that's coming from him, so clearly it's something that needs to be worked on.**

 **: Thank you! You're right on all counts; Evie is starting to get too curious, and its going to have consequences soon, not to mention Bill is going to be in hot water once she finds out exactly what he's done. I wanted to have them bond before things really hit the fan, otherwise I think it would be harder for them to grow a natural relationship.**

 **AngelPines: Hm, I can't fully remember what led to me writing this; I was obsessed with the fandom, and after a dream about the twins having an older sister, I decided that it would be interesting to see where it would go. The story has fleshed out since then, and I've written many shorts for the future (like an alternate ending to my version of Weirdmaggedon), and my love for the story has grown!**

 **Sweetpye: Thank you so much! Evelyn's reaction to Bill and Ford is definitely going to be...interesting…**

 **Angelwings2002: Thanks! Things are going to get a lot more exciting in the future as things heat up!**

 **Lunar Moon Butterfly: Thank you!**

 **Guest: I can't wait for them to all meet too; things will definitely get interesting!**

 **Luckygurrl12: Flute guy will be reappearing soon… after all, he loves going to the pool as often as he can… :) I'm looking really forward to finally posting the chapter where Bill and Evie get to meet face to face, and until then their relationship will continue to have their ups and downs. Thanks for the compliments!**

 **Lunamoon531: Thank you! It is really fun to write the siblings and their growth. Protective Bill is the best!**

 **chap1154: Thanks! Weirdmaggedon is going to be amazing to write!**

 **The Best Guest: Thank you! It's crazy to think that I've come to far with the story, but there's more to come! Summerween has been interesting to write, and it sets up an… interesting twist for Evie. You'll see it soon!**

 **JadeDragon100: Your goal may just be reached! Evie never knows when to trust her instincts and not be polite to strange creatures on the doorstep. I feel really privileged to be the one story you follow in this fandom so far! It makes me feel amazing to think that this story is interesting enough to keep people reading.**

 **Darkmaster10000000: Yes, yes I did.**

 **Guest: That song is perfect for Bill's feelings for Evie! And thank you for the kind words. I work really hard on this story and making Evill feel believable, and it's good to know it's paying off!**

 **redvintage888: Thank you so much for your support and for helping me out. You've been with this story for a long time, and I appreciate you more than you know!**

 **Lolistarkiller: Thank you! I hope this chapter exceeds your expectations! And the Bill episode is one that I can't wait to finally post.**

 **Rei: Thank you for your support! I really appreciate it!**

 **Thank you all for your support, and especially to those who have reached out to me these past few weeks! You guys are so amazing, and I hope you know how much I love you all. I'm not going to do my regular outro today, but I'd like to dedicate this chapter to everyone who reached out and supported me, and to my cousin Raffy: "Go then and make the world something beautiful, set up a light in the darkness." (Awakening Osiris, 'Hymn to Hathor', Normandi Ellis)**


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